All through the night
by fairy666tale
Summary: Now that all six Saint Beasts are allowed to stay together again, they still have to learn how to cope with the inner scars left by the past months. Mainly Rei x Ruka and Shin x Yuda, also mild Goh x Gai. Rated M to be safe
1. Listen to the music

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

SUMMARY: Now that all six Saint Beasts are allowed to stay together again, they still have to learn how to cope with the inner scars left by the past months. Mainly Rei x Ruka and Shin x Yuda, also mild Goh x Gai. Rated M to be safe ;)

By the way, it's named after the song All Through The Night, by Cyndi Lauper. Because I happened to be listening to that song while trying to think of a title for this fic XD

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

"Shin? How is Rei doing?" Yuda asked immediately, when Shin came into the living-room.

"He has a fever, so he's sleeping now. Ruka and I will take turns in watching over him tonight," the blue-haired angel replied, unable to hide the tone of worry in his voice.

It hadn't been a surprise that Rei got ill. After all they had been through, it was only natural that his body as well as his mind would need to break down. At least this way he'd be forced to rest, so he'd be able to really give it a place in his mind, and get rid of the uneasy feeling. Better that anyone of them, Shin understood that, being in the same situation as Rei. It was great that Yuda and Ruka weren't banned anymore, that they'd be allowed to stay together. But it would take some time before it would really get through to them that all the pain and fear from the past months truly was over.

"Are you all right?" Yuda's gently voice made him look up, snapping out of his thoughts. "Shin, are you feeling unwell? You look a bit pale."

"Ah, I'm fine," Shin replied with a soft smile. In truth, he felt completely exhausted. Not physically, not after having slept for days during the last part of their quest. Mentally, though, he felt just as drained as Rei almost certainly did. Even though he had told his friend that being passed out, after using his power of reversing time, had counted as a breakdown, in truth he knew it had only helped his body heal from the stress. But Rei didn't need to know, and neither did Yuda. It would only make them worried, and that really wasn't necessary.

"Shall I make dinner for tonight?" Goh offered. "I guess Rei won't feel well enough already to cook."

"That'd be nice," Shin replied with another smile. "Actually, I doubt whether he'll even feel well enough to be able to stand the scent of food."

"Then I'll help Goh cooking dinner!" Gai announced a bit loudly, grabbing Goh's arm. Something in his enthusiastic way of acting was a bit off, though. Even he probably felt the aftereffects of months of continuous stress, though not as much as Rei and Shin.

"Shin?" Yuda asked, after Goh and Gai had left for the kitchen. "The weather is nice, shall we go walk outside for a while?"

"Okay," Shin agreed. That way they'd have privacy. Which was good, since he still had something important to discuss with his beloved one. Or at least something to hint at, as Rei had advised. "Then, can we go to the fields?"

"Had enough of forests?"

"Yes, and we haven't walked in a flower field even once during the quest." Gently, Shin took Yuda's hand. "I think it'll be nice to be surrounded by pretty colors, instead of ghostlike houses and dangerous mountains." And it'd bring the right mood into the air to talk about some things.

"And… could you bring your harp?" Yuda asked, almost shyly. "I've really missed hearing your music."

"Okay," Shin agreed happily. He had missed playing it too, but due to all things that happened, he hadn't even gotten time to think about it. This indeed was a great opportunity to make music again. "I'll go get it, could you wait for me at the front-door?"

Some minutes later, they silently walked to the flower fields, suddenly a bit awkward. It had been so long since it had been just the two of them for a while, without the others. "Eh… so… How do you feel about the rooms?" Yuda suddenly asked. "I mean, about me sleeping in the same bed?"

"It's nice," Shin replied. Then he quickly added; "But if you're more comfortable alone, I understand."

"No, not at all," Yuda said relieved. "I love you, and it's reassuring to have you so close to me at night. I just wanted to be sure that it wasn't a nuisance to you."

Smart enough to point out the most important part of that statement, Shin looked at his beloved one. "Reassuring? Do you have any trouble sleeping?"

"Well… Sometimes," the red-haired angel admitted. "I still get nightmares every now and then, but you shouldn't worry about that."

"You're the most important person in my life. Of course I worry," Shin replied immediately. "If there's anything I can do…"

"You already are doing all you can. Allowing me to hold you at night, to feel your breath, that's all I need to feel safe." Smiling lovingly, Yuda looked at him. "As long as I have you, I'll be all right." Gently, he leaned over and kissed his beloved one's soft lips. The blue-haired angel let out a sigh against him, and then slowly returned the kiss. "Mmh… You taste so good," Yuda whispered in his ear, after breaking their kiss. Shin felt his cheeks heating up, but couldn't help letting out an appreciative sigh.

Oh, he felt so sure he was ready to hint at… that. Hopefully, he'd also have the courage to bring up that subject.

"There are the fields!" he pointed, feeling like he hadn't been here in ages. Though it wasn't as beautiful as in Heaven, it was one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen on earth. Silently, he took Yuda's hand again, walking closely next to him as they walked up the field. It was deserted here, most of the time, and luckily now was no exception.

"Shall we sit down here?" Yuda asked. Shin nodded, and together they sat down, Shin leaning lightly against his beloved one's shoulder. Tenderly, Yuda placed his arm around the smaller angel's shoulder. "You aren't cold?"

"No, not with you so close to me," Shin replied, smiling happily. After taking a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air, he started playing his harp.

The clear sound it produced, immediately made him remember why he loved playing it so much. The sky seemed brighter, the flower's scent deeper and he couldn't help but to put all his emotions into this improvised song. Yuda just stared at him, his eyes full of amazement. And worry, for some reason. "What's wrong?" Shin asked softly, without stopping to play his harp.

"It's just… it sounds sad. Beautiful, but sad."

A faint smile appeared on his face. "I know. But… please listen it to the end?" Yuda only nodded, leaning his head onto Shin's and closing his eyes. For some more time, the sadness kept audible in the tones, then there came a faster, slightly creepy part. Ending with a soft part, warm and nice, but with an emotion mixed through that Shin himself didn't fully recognize. After the song had ended, they both were silent for a while.

"Was that…" Yuda asked unsurely. "Was that about the past few months?"

"Indeed," Shin replied, happy that Yuda had understood. To his surprise, his beloved one suddenly hugged him tightly. "Ah, Yuda?"

"That last part… Shin, you sounded so unsure." Almost scared, Yuda looked at him. "Is it… because of us? I mean, is there anything that bothers you about our relationship?"

So that's what the emotion had been. But Yuda had the reason all wrong. "Not at all. It's…" Gathering his courage, Shin turned to face Yuda. "I've been thinking about it, now that we can stay together for sure. And…" Taking a deep breath, he averted his gaze towards the ground. "How do you feel about…" He felt his cheeks heating up. "Do you think we're ready to go further?"

"Eh? I mean… What…" Yuda's face went as red as his hair when he understood what his beloved one was talking about. "Shin… are you sure?"

"Of course I am." Shyly, the blue-haired angel looked at his angel. "So… In a few days or so… Will you take me?"

Instead of answering, Yuda suddenly dove forward, throwing his arms around Shin. Not having seen that coming, the smaller angel fell backwards, Yuda sprawled on top of him. "Shin… Do you really mean that? Do you really trust me enough to… you know."

"I do." Tenderly, Shin hugged him back. "I love you."

"I love you too." A soft kiss onto his lips. "I love you so much."

When it was dinner-time, Ruka ate later than the rest, so Shin could take over watching Rei. The silver-haired angel seemed tired, obviously from worrying over his beloved one. Still, when he stepped into the room, Shin found Rei looking better than he had a few hours ago. His face was still pale, but didn't seem as tense anymore. He even opened his eyes when Shin sat down at the edge of the bed. "Hey," he greeted faintly.

"How are you feeling?" Shin asked his friend, stroking Rei's hair worriedly.

"Hm… my mind finally stopped over-working. But according to Ruka, the fever got a bit worse." A soft sigh. "Overall, I just feel tired."

Then was this the right time to tell him? Rei was his best friend, so Shin plainly couldn't wait. "Rei, I have to tell you something. I finally talked to Yuda."

Immediately, the hazy look in his friend's eyes disappeared. "How did he respond?"

Shin couldn't help but to smile. "He jumped me. Just to hug, though. But in a few days, when we're both ready for it…" Too shy to finish that line, he just let it trail off. "In short, he said 'yes'!"

"Congratulations!" Though Rei's voice was weak, it was audibly that he really was happy for Shin.

"Thanks. Also for advising me to ask him," Shin replied.

Rei only smiled softly, his eyes slowly turning a bit hazy again. "Shin? Could you stay here… for a while?" His eyes slid shut. "I don't want Ruka… to put too much… pressure on himself."

"Of course." Gently, Shin kept stroking his friend's hair, watching him drifting off to sleep. His breath was slightly quickened, and he had a red blush on his face from the fever. Gently, Shin soaked the towel in the cold water again, hoping the coldness would help his friend. Rei only sighed in his sleep, seemingly relaxing a bit further. "Rei, please get well soon," Shin whispered. Even though he knew it was just a case of too much exhaustion, he couldn't help but to feel worried. Well, it was only logical to hate it to see a friend feeling so ill.

"How is he?" he suddenly heard Ruka asking.

A bit startled, Shin looked up. "He just fell asleep, but we talked for a few minutes. It seems like he's starting to feel better, so I think the fever will lower soon too." At least, he hoped so. "Can I please stay here for while too? He asked me to stay."

"Sure," Ruka nodded, sitting down on the other side of Rei's bed. For a while, an awkward silence hung in the air. "Eh… If you don't mind me asking… What did he say to you about…" Embarrassedly, Ruka stared at Rei's sleeping form. "About… last night?"

"Ah, w-what?" A bit unsure, Shin looked at him, but the silver-haired angel didn't look back. "He said he enjoyed it, and that it only hurt a little. Why do you ask?"

"It's just… I know it's just the stress from the past few months which caused him to break down like this. But… I don't want him to have any more discomfort because of me."

With a soft smile, Shin placed his hand on Ruka's shoulder. "He's happy for what the two of you have done. You should be able to feel that through your power of empathy, right? Besides, does he look like he's in any pain right now?"

As if it were on purpose, Rei sighed in his sleep, and then smiled softly for just a moment. "He seems fine," Ruka admitted relieved. "Still, I hope his fever will be gone soon."

"He's resting now, that should be enough," Shin replied, trying to hide his own worry.

Ruka didn't reply, so they both just sat there for some time, watching their friend. After a few hours, Rei finally woke up, letting out soft gasp. "Rei?" Immediately, Ruka leaned over him. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing, really," the purple haired angel mumbled, his eyes a bit wider than usual. "I woke up, but something just… startled me, I guess." He sighed tiredly. "I don't know what, though."

"How are you feeling?" Shin asked.

"A bit… breathless." A shaky smile. "And a bit nauseous. I don't think I'll fall asleep again anytime soon."

"Shin, could you play on your harp for him?" Ruka asked. "Maybe that'll help."

"Sure. Rei, do you think it'll help you?" Shin asked.

"Well… it would distract me, so yes." Giving Shin a somewhat shy look, he added; "But only if you want to. Please don't feel obligated to play."

The blue-haired angel smiled softly. "I'll go get my harp."

He was back within a minute, in the meantime Ruka had laid down next to Rei, the purple haired angel having his face pushed against the taller angel's collarbone. Without saying anything, knowing Rei felt too sick to talk and Ruka was too preoccupied by being worried, Shin just sat down on the edge of the bed and started playing his harp. Ruka kept staring at Rei's pale face, but Rei did open his eyes and looked at Shin for a moment, giving him a thankful smile.

Unlike earlier that day, when he had put all his emotions of the past few months into one song for Yuda, he now tried to think of peaceful moments, making the song gentle and relaxing. Hopefully, that would help Rei to get calm enough to fall asleep again. For a while, the faint tension on Rei's face stayed, probably also due to his nausea. That seemed to fade after a while, though, leaving the purple-haired angel looking relaxed and peaceful.

"Shin?" he suddenly whispered, his eyes still closed.

"Yes?"

"Your music can always make people feel better. Thanks for making it."

"I'm glad it helps," Shin replied with a happy smile. "But you should try to sleep a bit more."

"Mmh, I know." A faint smile. "Ruka is already sleeping, though."

"Eh? I hadn't noticed," Shin responded. Come to think about it, he indeed hadn't seen the silver-haired angel moving for some time and his eyes were closed. Besides, it was natural for Rei to notice such things without looking, just like Shin would notice it with Yuda.

"Could you stay too?" Rei asked, opening his eyes a little. By the look in those dark golden orbs, Shin could tell that his friend was barely awake enough to remember asking this by the time he'd wake up. Still, he realized why the purple-haired angel asked it. It was due to the deep fear of losing someone close. And he realized that, because he felt the same.

And therefore, he couldn't completely refuse. "I can't leave Yuda alone all night, but I can stay here until you're asleep, and then I'll come back here again early in the morning. Okay?"

"Mmh… 'kay…" Rei mumbled, his eyes closing again. Softly, Shin started playing his harp again, slow and peacefully. It didn't take long until Rei drifted off to sleep, it took some time longer until Shin felt safe to leave the two sleeping on the bed. Luckily, Rei didn't wake up when he left, and neither did Ruka. Shin was sure though, that Ruka would be awake instantly the moment Rei would move. Which meant that the blue-haired angel didn't have to worry too much.

Letting out a tired sigh, he went to his room, hoping Yuda would be there waiting for him.

* * *

**Yay, first chapter of the sequel :D  
I really can't leave these guys alone, so I decided to just go on at the usual pace, instead of waiting longer to start the sequel. I don't have a clear storyline in mind yet, but I do have some ideas, so we'll just have to wait and see where it'll take them (I don't know yet either XD )**

**Either way, I'll update in a week, as usual^^**


	2. At night

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

A happy, somewhat relieved smile graced his beautiful face when Shin saw his beloved one waiting for him, sitting on his bed and facing the window. The full moon gave him a somewhat mysterious look, and Shin couldn't help but to watch him for a short while, before silently closing the door behind him. At that noise, Yuda looked behind, a bit startled. When he saw the blue-haired angel standing there, he immediately stood up and walked towards him. "Shin? Is everything okay?"

Before answering, Shin gave Yuda a soft kiss, hoping his beloved one would embrace him in response. To his gratefulness, Yuda did just that. With his head resting against Yuda's shoulder, he finally replied. "Rei still has a fever, but I played on my harp for him, and he and Ruka both fell asleep." He felt more than saw Yuda smile at that.

"And how are you doing?"

"I'm fine. Just tired." Letting out a deep sigh, he closed his eyes for a moment. "Yuda…" Even though they loved each other more than anything, he still felt a bit awkward asking such things. But Yuda's arms around him, holding him in place so strong and yet gentle, was something he really needed right now. "Please hold me. Just for a few minutes."

"With pleasure," Yuda replied, carefully lifting him up and carrying him to the bed. Gentle, like he was putting down a glass sculpture, he laid Shin down on the bed and then laid down against him. Almost automatically, Shin snuggled closely against his beloved one's chest. Yuda sighed and wrapped his arms around the smaller angel protectively. "Did something happen to make you upset?"

"No. Not really." A shaky sigh. "Just… the past months… It'll take some time to get over it." And right now, he felt so exhausted. He felt Yuda kissing his forehead and caressing his hair, and concentrated on that feeling. That way, not thinking about anything specifically, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Later that night, Ruka suddenly startled awake when he felt Rei moving against him harshly. Opening his eyes, he saw the purple-haired angel kicking softly in his sleep, his face tense. "Rei? Calm down," Ruka whispered, briefly noticing he wasn't underneath the bed-sheets, and that he was still in his daytime clothes. Well, better comfort Rei first. Tenderly, he kissed the beautiful angel, feeling Rei's breathing calm down a bit. "Everything's fine. Just sleep."

When the smaller angel seemed to be sleeping peacefully again, Ruka carefully got out of bed and then laid down underneath the sheets. Without that layer of silk filled up with feathers between them, he could feel how terribly warm Rei's body was. Unnaturally warm. Of course, fevers usually got worse during the night. Was that bowl of water still there? It was, he saw. It took a bit longer to find the towel. Somewhere during the night it must have fallen, and it was buried underneath the silken bed-sheets. When he finally had it, though, he quickly drenched it in the water before placing it on Rei's forehead. Hopefully it wouldn't only lower the fever, but also help Rei to sleep better.

Letting out a tired yawn, he pulled up the sheets and snuggled against his beloved one, careful not to stir him too much. Rei didn't respond, but luckily he didn't wake up either. Listening to his angel's steady, slightly quickened breathing, Ruka drifted off to sleep again.

For some unknown reason, Yuda woke early that morning. Well, it might be because he'd went to bed so early last night. Letting out a sigh, he opened his eyes to see Shin fast asleep against him. Carefully starting to stroke the smaller angel's silky hair, he realized that his beloved one had probably wanted to check up on Rei as early as possible. But looking at Shin's slightly pale face, how tired he still seemed, he just couldn't bring himself to wake his angel up. Still, it would be wise if someone did check up on Rei and Ruka, especially since Ruka had probably fallen asleep too.

Just when he started wondering whether or not he should wake up Shin, the blue-haired angel solved that problem by waking up by himself. "Yuda?" he mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. It looked so cute, the red-haired angel couldn't help but to smile. A bit shyly, Shin smiled back, before he remembered what had happened the past day. "Ah, I should check up on Rei."

"Shall I go instead? You look like you could use a little more sleep," Yuda offered, trying not to sound too overly protective.

"But I promised Rei…" he mumbled, interrupting himself with a deep yawn.

"I'm sure he'll understand," Yuda said softly. "Besides, if everything's all right, he won't have to wake up anyway."

For a moment, Shin seemed to want to disagree, but finally he gave in to his tiredness. "Okay. But don't hurry back. And check his temperature. And make sure the towel is still cool."

"Shin, I know how to take care of someone with a fever," Yuda tried to reassure him. "I'll be back in a few minutes, Okay? Now get back to sleep."

"Mmh." Apparently, he already was half asleep again. Gently, Yuda gave his beloved one a kiss onto his smooth cheek, before silently leaving the room. The hallways were still dark, and he nearly let out a startled gasp when he walked around a corner and almost bumped into Gai. Good thing he had decided to wear some pajamas. The small blonde seemed even more startled, though. Almost like he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. And suddenly Yuda realized they were standing in front of the door to Goh's room.

"Eh… good morning," Gai stammered.

"Good morning." A short silence. "Did you need Goh for anything?"

"No! Well… I just wanted to talk to him, but I guess it's a bit early in the morning." Gai seemed a bit preoccupied, though, making Yuda suspect that the blonde actually just wanted to be comforted by the brunette. No wonder, what happened hadn't been easy for them either.

"I'm sure he won't mind you interrupting his sleep, if you have a good reason," Yuda remarked, before walking on to Rei's room.

They clearly were still asleep, Ruka having pulled Rei into a tight embrace. Silently, not to wake them up, Yuda walked to the bed and carefully checked Rei's fever. Not that bad anymore, luckily. After refreshing the wet towel, he silently left the room again. On his way back to Shin's room, he saw Gai had left. Briefly, he wondered if the blonde had gone back to his own room, or sneaked into Goh's, but decided that was none of his business. Which didn't mean he wasn't curious, though.

"Shin?" he asked softly, while closing the door behind himself. A soft, sleepy mumble was the only response, so he silently sat down on the edge of Shin's side of the bed.

"Mmh… How's Rei?" Shin asked, his eyes half closed.

"His fever has gone down a lot," Yuda told him. "So you're free to go back to sleep now."

"Mmh." A deep sigh. "You have to lay down with me."

"Sure." Without bothering to get underneath the sheets, he was still wearing his daytime clothes anyway, he just wrapped his arms around his beloved one, his upper body resting on Shin's chest. "Is this good enough?"

"Yeah." A sleepy smile, and then those beautiful light golden eyes closed again.

For some hours, even though Yuda couldn't manage to fall back asleep, they laid like that. Finally, when the sun started to rise, Shin seemed asleep enough so Yuda could leave without waking him. He'd been up for hours already anyway, so he might as well make breakfast for everyone. Now that Rei's fever had gone down so much, he'd probably want to eat too, so he made breakfast for all six of them and then went to wake up Shin and the others.

Some minutes later, they all sat at the dining table, eating breakfast. Only Rei still was in bed, since Ruka didn't want to wake him up. "Why don't you take some food to his room? He'll probably be hungry, and that way he won't have to eat alone," Shin suggested.

"Good idea," Ruka agreed. Back in Rei's room, he put down the two plates of food, and carefully shook his beloved one's shoulder to wake him.

"Mmh? Ruka?" Sleepily, Rei rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Around nine o'clock. Your fever has gone down, how are you feeling?"

"A lot better. The headache is almost gone, I'm just tired. And a bit hungry."

"Good," Ruka smiled. "Yuda made breakfast, so we can eat here." Gently, he helped Rei to sit up. "It's cheese and tomato sandwiches."

"Sounds nice," Rei replied, accepting the plate Ruka offered him. Sitting next to each other, their backs against the wall behind the bed, they ate their breakfast. "Ruka, can we go flying today?"

"But your fever isn't completely gone yet. Last night it was even worse that yesterday, so it'll probably take another night until you're completely healed."

Rei sighed, and then looked at Ruka with those big beautiful eyes of his. "Then can we do something else? A game or something? Otherwise I'll be bored."

Like he'd ever be able to deny his beloved one anything, when Rei looked at him like that. "Sure. What game?"

"Don't know. Shall we decide that after breakfast?"

"Okay." In silence, they finished their breakfast. "I'll bring the plates to the kitchen, okay?"

"I'll be here waiting," Rei smiled.

Ruka hurried to get back soon, and when he did, he couldn't help but to stare at his beloved one for a moment. Rei had came out of his bed to get his hairbrush, and was now sitting on top of the sheets, his long legs left naked due to his night-clothes. "Rei… you're beautiful," Ruka complemented him softly, while sitting down next to his friend and gently wrapping his arms around him. Immediately, Rei's face turned the same color as Ruka's eyes.

"T-thanks. Y-you're good-looking too," the purple-haired angel mumbled shyly.

Tenderly, Ruka kissed him. Instead of just accepting, Rei actually deepened the kiss, tracing the inside of Ruka's mouth with his tongue. The silver-haired angel gladly returned that favor, automatically leaning into Rei. Still being weakened from his fever, the smaller fell back into the pillows, but didn't break their kiss. Instead, he threw his arms around his beloved one, holding him as tight as he could. After what felt like ages, though, Rei finally pulled back, gasping for breath.

"Rei? You okay?" Ruka asked, also trying to catch his breath.

"Y-yeah. You too?"

Those two beautiful dark golden orbs were looking back at him, still a bit hazy from the intensity of their kiss, but so full of love. "I feel great," Ruka replied with a smile, before gently kissing Rei's throat. That made the smaller angel moan almost inaudibly, his eyes closing at their own accord. Still, he seemed reluctant to respond so clearly. A bit unsure, Ruka sat up again, hoping he hadn't gone too far. He hadn't meant anything by his actions, only to be close to Rei just a bit longer.

"I don't think we should do this now. I'm still tired," Rei mumbled guiltily.

"I know. I just wanted to touch you a little more, I wouldn't… do that… while you still have a bit of a fever." Gently, Ruka caressed Rei's silky hair. "That'd be unfair, especially since I refused to take you out to fly, earlier." Instead of answering, Rei only smiled softly at him. "What?"

"You're so careful with me. It annoys me sometimes, but it's still a nice feeling that you care." Slowly, he sat up. "So… what game will we play?"

"Eh… I don't know what games we have here," Ruka admitted.

"What about…" Rei's mouth kept open for a moment, while he obviously tried to think of a nice game. "Hm… maybe…"

Ruka chuckled softly. "What about just going to the library and read a bit? Shin will probably be there too, and he's been worrying about you almost as much as I have."

"Okay, sounds good!" Rei agreed enthusiastically.

"You'll bring your blanket, though. You can't get cold."

Pouting a bit, Rei stood up, dragging his blanket with him. He couldn't hide the fact that he was trembling a bit, though. Gently, Ruka held his arm around the smaller angel's shoulders while they walked through the hallways. Though he seemed to feel a bit embarrassed about it, Rei did lean into his beloved one a bit, obviously thankful for the support and warmth. And he looked quite cute too, with that white blanket wrapped around his slender body like that.

Like he had thought, Shin was indeed sitting by one of the tables in the library, reading. He looked up a bit startled, though, when he heard the door open and then close again. "Rei, how are you feeling?" he asked immediately.

"A lot better, just a bit tired," Rei replied with a smile. "Ruka insisted on me having a blanket around me, though."

"Well, that's a good thing, right? It'd be bad if you'd catch a cold," Shin remarked.

Ruka couldn't help but to chuckle at Rei's face, which held a pretty child-like expression at the moment. "Come on, sit down. What book do you want to read?"

"Dunno. Something easy, my head is still a bit fuzzy," Rei replied softly, while sitting down at the nearest seat.

"I'll try to find something suiting."

A few minutes later, all three of them were reading silently, though Rei had some trouble following the story. His mind was still a bit hazy from the fever, and reading also gave him a bit of a headache. But if he'd say anything, Ruka would insist on him going back to bed, which was something Rei didn't want yet. Needing to avert his eyes from the letters for a moment, he looked around, suddenly noticing Shin was currently using his arms, that were folded on the table, as a pillow, his hair covering his face.

"Shin?" he asked worriedly. No response came, so he stretched his arm and gently wiped some hair out of his friend's face. Shin's eyes were closed, but he sighed softly when Rei touched him. "Ruka? He's sleeping, should we bring him to his room?"

"I don't think that'd be a good idea, he'll probably wake up," Ruka replied.

"Hm." But he didn't want to leave his friend sleeping like this either. "Then let's sit a bit closer." After silently shoving his chair a bit closer to Shin's, he wrapped half of his blanket around his friend's shoulders. "It's big enough for us both."

Ruka smiled softly at how completely Rei-like that was. "I'm sure that'll help," he remarked, also shoving his chair a bit closer, so he was sitting almost against the purple-haired angel. "He seemed tired last night, but I thought he'd slept long enough."

"He didn't say anything about having slept bad, but then again, I haven't really talked with him. Didn't he say anything at breakfast?"

"No," Ruka replied. "But I guess he's just tired. Maybe all he needs is a bit of sleep."

"I hope so," Rei sighed, embracing Shin quietly.

* * *

**Abrupt ending, I know… But I'm going on vacation (again), since I got invited by a friend.**

**Anyhow, I guess it'll be a two-week wait until I can update again^^**


	3. Forever yours

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

Letting out an inaudible sigh, Ruka glanced at Rei's pale face. He had noticed how much effort it seemed to take his angel to concentrate on the book he was holding, but for the past few minutes Rei seemed to have given up on reading at all. Though considering the somewhat concerned look on his face, he could use the distraction. The book laid left alone on the table, while Rei was leaning on the table with one elbow, using his free hand to play with strands of Shin's hair.

The blue-haired angel hadn't woken up yet, which was good, but if this would go on a lot longer, he'd probably end up with dreadlocks instead of his usual hairdo. Apparently without noticing it himself, Rei kept pulling strands of hair out of the ribbon in Shin's hair. Well, at least he had removed Shin's glasses, so they wouldn't get damaged in any way.

"Rei? Are you all right?" Ruka asked carefully, not wanting to startle his beloved one.

"Mmh? Yeah, just a bit tired," the purple-haired angel responded, slowly sitting up straight. "Oh… oops." Almost surprised, he looked at Shin's hair. "Eh, I guess I spaced out a little."

Ruka couldn't help but to chuckle softly. "Well, I'm sure he won't be angry with you. But if you're tired, shall I take you back to bed?"

"Not yet, please. I don't want to leave Shin yet."

"Then I'll go find Yuda, and ask him if he'll carry Shin to your room. Then he's still with you without him needing to wake up, and you'll be able to rest properly."

"No need, I'll walk," Shin suddenly whispered, opening his eyes a bit and smiling faintly. "I've been awake for a while already." He yawned. "I just didn't want to wake up completely." Slowly he sat up. "Thanks for sharing your blanket with me, by the way."

"Sure," Rei smiled. "But… you don't mind having to keep Ruka and me company for a bit longer?" Shin merely smiled again, before standing up and helping Rei to do the same. The purple-haired angel wavered a bit, having some trouble keeping his balance. "Ouch…" Carefully, he leaned onto Shin, nearly making the blue-haired angel fall backwards. "S-sorry."

"It's not your fault," Shin immediately reassured him. "Just give yourself some time to heal." Nearly stumbling himself, he stepped away from Rei, giving Ruka the chance to wrap an arm around the purple-haired angel's waist to steady him.

"Are you still tired?" Rei asked worriedly, placing his hand on Shin's thin shoulder. "Shouldn't you rest for a bit?"

"I'm only a little tired, there's no need to worry." A small, reassuring smile. "Let's go to your room now, okay?"

Rei only nodded, walking slowly next to Ruka. Even though the fever was as good as gone, he still felt somewhat sleepy and his head ached a bit. Not enough to really bother him, but enough to warn him that he shouldn't push himself too much further. For once, he was willing to listen to his own body, knowing he'd only worry his friends again if the fever would fully return. Ruka was worried enough as it was, and Shin seemed exhausted, so Rei didn't want to take the risk.

In his room, Ruka gently helped him to sit down on his bed, his back leaning against the wall. Shin sat down next to him, Ruka sat on his other side. "So, is there anything you'd like to do?" Ruka asked the one in the middle.

"Eh, not really. Just chatting a bit." Rei sighed deeply. "Or we could just sit here for a bit." Letting his eyes drop shut, he rested his head on Ruka's shoulder. "Shin? Would you mind leaning against me? It's cold." He heard Shin chuckle softly, but then felt his friend's weight against his side. "Mmh, you're warm." Another sigh. He felt himself drifting off to sleep already, only almost waking up once when Yuda came into the room to get Shin for something, but he didn't even notice the blue-haired angel leaving anymore.

"Shin, are you okay?" Yuda asked, gently taking his beloved one's hand.

"I should be asking you that question, since you came looking for me suddenly," the smaller angel replied softly.

"I couldn't find you, and I was a bit worried. I… I just want to be close to you as much as possible," Yuda admitted, looking at the floor. "I'm sorry to be so selfish, but… it still feels so unreal that we're allowed to be together from now on. Like something could take you away from me any moment, when I'm not there to try and protect you. Quite honestly, it scares me not to be near you." A somewhat sheepish smile. "I guess that sounds childish, but it's the only way I can think of to describe this feeling."

For a moment, Shin only stared at him, his eyes full of surprise and love. "Yuda, that… that's not selfish at all. It's only natural, after being at risk for so long. But you should have told me sooner that you're still have that fear. I would have been more mindful not to leave you alone without telling you where I'd go."

A faint smile. "That's exactly why I didn't tell you. I don't want to make you act less freely, just because of me."

"Yuda…" Tenderly, Shin wrapped his arms around the taller angel, snuggling against him. "Please, don't make it any harder on yourself to learn to cope with all that happened. Please…" He sounded so completely exhausted, the red-haired angel immediately felt a bit guilty. Gently, he hugged Shin, lifting the smaller angel into his arms. "Eh?" Surprised, the smaller angel lifted his head to look at him.

"Can we just… talk for a bit? In your room?" If he'd tell his beloved one to get some rest, the blue-haired angel would probably say he's was fine and refuse to sit down for a while. This way, Yuda would hopefully avoid that discussion.

"What do you want to talk about?" Shin asked, sounding a bit worried. "And I can walk myself, by the way."

"Eh… nothing in specific," Yuda replied quickly. "And I know you can walk. I just choose to ignore that fact."

That succeeded on bringing a small smile to Shin's beautiful face. "Well, then shall we go to my room? Then you can think of a subject to talk about."

After giving him a soft kiss onto his hair, Yuda carried his beloved one there. Then, sitting next to each other on Shin's bed, he realized he couldn't think of anything to say. Well, at least Shin was resting somewhat now, which had been his main intention. "So… nice weather, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." A soft chuckle. "You really can't think of a better subject?"

In truth; no. But he could think of better things to do, which would also distract Shin from whatever he worried about. So he just smiled at his beloved one as a reply, and then gently kissed him onto his lips, using one hand to caress Shin's soft cheek. "Mmh… Is this a nice subject?" he mumbled, after breaking their kiss.

"Absolutely," Shin whispered, before taking his turn in kissing Yuda. It was a short kiss, though, and after pulling away he let out a deep sigh. "I should go get my glasses. They're still in the library."

"And you might want to brush your hair," Yuda added, carefully combing his fingers through the tangles in Shin's silky hair.

"Ah, yes. I think Rei was bored," the smaller angel explained, getting up from the bed and walking towards the table where his hairbrush lay. "Y-Yuda? Would you mind helping?" He sounded unsure and somewhat shy, which to Yuda sounded so cute.

"Of course." For some minutes, he gently brushed the tangles out of Shin's hair. Then, he just kept brushing for a while longer. That silky blue hair was already perfect again, but it felt nice to be so close to his beloved one. And Shin didn't comment on it, which probably meant he enjoyed it too. After some time though, he finally stepped away and turned around, only to practically let himself drop into Yuda's arms. "Shin?" A bit worried, Yuda hugged the smaller angel. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Mmh…" Snuggling against the red-haired angel, he smiled. "I just… needed to be held by you, I guess." A faint shiver went through his slender body. "And I'm a bit tired, still."

At least he admitted it voluntarily. "Then why don't you lay down for a while?"

"Because I was reading, until Rei and Ruka came. According to some newspapers from the human world, there have been strange things happening in some places. So in case Zeus orders us to do something about it, I thought it'd be wise to keep track of it."

"That's indeed a good idea, but it shouldn't be at the cost of your health. Shin, I can see you're exhausted, you should sleep," Yuda tried to convince him.

Letting out a somewhat annoyed sigh, Shin pulled back, getting out of Yuda's embrace. "I'll be fine. I can't give in to it, not while Rei is still not back to a hundred percent. We don't know when we'll get a new assignment, so we can't afford to have two people unable to fight." Hoping Yuda wouldn't try to argue about it, Shin turned around and started walking back to the library. He heard Yuda following him, but his beloved one didn't make an effort to stop him. Instead, the red-haired angel just followed him silently. "Yuda…"

"I don't believe it's a good idea not to allow yourself enough rest, but I'll stop nagging. I'm not leaving you alone, though," his angel replied, in a tone much softer that his words implied.

Another sigh. "Fine." At the library, they sat down next to each other, at the table where the newspapers and Shin's glasses were still waiting. "If you really plan on staying here, could you please read some of these too? I'm not really listing any facts, I just want to search for anything extremely remarkable."

"Sure." In silence, they read for a while. Honestly, Shin wanted to go back to his room, get in bed and sleep for a while. But he just couldn't do so, feeling to stressed when there was nothing to take his mind of the past months. It wasn't just that he wanted to be prepared for possible assignments, he just needed to have something to keep his mind occupied. At night, when he laid in Yuda's strong arms, sleeping was possible, having his beloved one to concentrate on. During the day, though, Yuda wouldn't be there the whole time Shin slept. That thought alone was enough to make the blue-haired angel feel tense enough not to be able to sleep.

Still, he had fallen asleep in the library, when Rei and Ruka had been there too. It almost felt wrong to think, but he had to admit that when Rei was with him, he could sleep calmly during the day. Yuda and Rei were the people he loved most, even though he loved them both in a different way. But he'd never had lost Rei, not in the way he had lost Yuda. Sure, he had seen Rei in mortal danger more than a few times, but still it was different. In those cases, his friend had been saved in less than days. Yuda, on the other hand, had been gone for months. Months in which Shin had desperately tried to bear the pain of never seeing him again.

Maybe that was why he only worried that much when it was only Yuda with him. The very fact that he actually had lost all hope to get him back, knowing he'd never see him again. And now it was so hard on him to truly dare to believe he'd never lose him again, feeling like he was dreaming but could wake up any moment, to find his beloved one gone. If he'd fall asleep and then wake up, not being able to find Yuda within a few minutes, he wasn't sure what he'd do. If he'd be able not to break down when he was alone. Quite frankly, he wasn't too sure if he wanted to know his own reaction.

Letting out a somewhat shaky sigh, he put down the newspaper. "Yuda?" Should he tell him what was bothering him so much? No, it wasn't something Yuda could help, so it'd only make his beloved one feel bad. Sure, Yuda had told Shin about his worries, but that was actually something Shin could help with by trying to leave his side. Shin's fears, though, where on a much deeper level, not being scared Yuda would leave him again, but afraid that he hadn't been here at all, that it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

"What is it?" Yuda asked, some worry showing in his eyes. "Shin, is something wrong?"

Realizing he still was to complete what he had started saying, Shin mumbled. "Just…" Just what? What did he want Yuda to do? Normally, his mind would work fast enough to think of something, but right now he just felt so completely exhausted. Quickly, he shook his head. "Never mind."

That response only seemed to worry Yuda more. "Shin, I know I said I wouldn't nag on, but I really think you should lay down for a while. You're really pale."

"I'm fine, Yuda." He'd never been good at lying, but he knew his beloved one wouldn't have believed him anyway. Besides, due to his irrational fear of Yuda not being anywhere near when he woke, he'd only be able to sleep well with Rei with him. But the purple-haired angel was probably still sleeping in Ruka's arms, and Shin didn't want to intrude.

"Don't… don't you trust me to stay with you?" Yuda asked guiltily. "I'm sorry…"

"That's not it, I'm just scared that you're not even here!" Shin finally blurted out. "That it's just a dream, and I'll wake up to being alone. That I'm just tricking myself into believing this is real, because I know I wouldn't be able to get through the pain of realizing you'll never be with me again!" Shocked that he had actually spoken that out loud, he jumped up. "S-sorry…"

Yuda just stared at him, trying to process what the smaller angel had said. "Shin…" He looked so lost and almost hurt, Shin failed to acknowledge that there was mainly worry showing in his eyes.

"I'm sorry… I… I guess I should lay down for a while after all…" The shock beginning to fade away, Shin suddenly felt a bit dizzy. "I shouldn't have… have told you that… I'm just an idiot…" His legs started feeling like jelly, making him stagger a bit. "S-sorry…" he mumbled again, grabbing the chair beside to keep himself from collapsing to the floor.

"Shin… Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Y-you can't help it…" The room started to seem increasingly dark. "D-didn't want to… make you… feel b-bad…" As if someone turned a switch, his mind suddenly cleared and all turned black.

"Shin!" Watching in horror as the blue-haired angel's eyes turned away and slid shut, Yuda forced himself to move. Just in time, he managed to catch Shin's limp body before it would hit the floor, cradling the smaller angel against his chest as tightly as possible. "Shin, you should have told me… I'd do anything not to hurt you." The guilt he felt almost hurt physically. "Shin… please wake up," he ended that line in a whisper, his throat feeling like it was getting squeezed shut from the inside.

His beautiful angel looked so tired, so weak, it made him feel even more guilty. How could he have not notice that something was bothering Shin so much? He shouldn't have noticed it in an instant, he should have helped him immediately! "I'm so sorry," he mumbled, tenderly lifting his beloved one off the floor. "Shin, I promise I won't let go of you. But… don't let go of me either."

Without encountering anyone, he carried Shin to his bedroom, and carefully laid him down on the bed. The blue-haired angel didn't stir at all, he just laid there quietly, eyes still closed. His face seemed somewhat tense, though. "Are you dreaming?" Yuda asked softly, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. "How can I make you truly believe we'll never lose each other again?" Desperate to make some kind of contact with his beloved one, Yuda laid down too, curling up against Shin's side and his head resting on Shin's collarbone. "I'll let you do whatever you want to me, if that would be any help at all. I'd hold you forever, I'd let you chain me to your side if that would reassure you. But please, just let me know what I can do."

A single tear dripped down his cheek. "Shin… if loving me hurts you so much… then I'd rather never had existed at all!" That last part came out as a sob, and his throat felt too tight to speak on. Unable to do anything else, he just cried silently for some time, his face pressed against Shin's collarbone and his hands clamped into the fabric of Shin's clothes. Finally, after what felt like hours, his beloved one finally groaned softly, and he sat up almost startled. "Shin?"

"Mmh… Y-Yuda?" Blinking a few times, the smaller angel opened his bright golden eyes. They still were somewhat hazy, but at least his face had regained most of its color. "Why… are you crying?" Suddenly, the haziness in his eyes disappeared completely, as he seemed to remember what had happened before he had fainted. "No… I didn't want to make you feel bad!" It came out as a chocked whisper.

"Shin…" In short, he told Shin how he felt. He thought about leaving out the 'rather not have existed at all' part, but look where not telling everything had led them. Still, he couldn't help but to look away from Shin's shocked gaze when he told him that last part.

"Yuda, please don't ever want that! It's… Loving you has caused me rough times, but I'd never wish I hadn't met you at all. My life would never be complete without you, even if I wouldn't know what I'd be missing." With shaking hands Shin pulled Yuda down, the red-haired angel ending up lying on top of him. "This is precisely the reason why I didn't want you to know. There's nothing you can do to help, this fear can only be healed by time. But… I shouldn't have kept it in either, and for that I'm sorry." He sighed, gently caressing Yuda's back. "Normally, I would have talked about it with Rei, and it wouldn't have tired me out like this worrying about it. But he's in the same situation as me, so it wouldn't have been fair to lean on him."

"Next time don't worry about me. Don't be scared to make me feel bad, I don't care as long as you'll feel better," Yuda said softly, wrapping his arms tightly around Shin's slender frame. "And even though Rei has his own worries and traumas, I'm sure he wouldn't want you to hold back either. But if you're afraid of putting too much pressure on him, please don't hesitate to talk to me instead. I know there are many things that are just easier to talk about with a friend, rather than a lover. But… don't forget I'm all yours. Whatever happens, I won't leave you. Even if you'd break me to pieces, I'd still stay by your side to protect you and love you."

Shin just looked at him, his look unreadable. Just when Yuda started worrying whether he'd said something wrong, the blue-haired angel closed his eyes and slowly kissed him, opening his mouth a bit and licking Yuda's lips to make him to the same. The taller angel complied without hesitance, letting Shin take control. The smaller angel gently deepened their kiss, pulling Yuda so tightly against him that they could practically feel each other's heartbeat.

To his own surprise, Yuda felt some tears dripping down his cheeks. This time, though, it wasn't by guilt or sadness, instead it was the almost overbearing feeling of relieve and pure love. He didn't break their kiss to say that, though, not even when Shin looked at him surprised when one of the tears landed on his face. No, his beloved would decide when he was ready to break their kiss. Finally, after minutes, Shin pulled back, breathing heavily. Yuda felt just as airless, but made sure to get off Shin's body before he allowed himself to get some oxygen back into his lungs.

Still, he couldn't help but to smile happily, his arms wrapped around Shin's shoulders and his head against his beloved one's. His smile brightened even more when Shin sighed deeply and then smiled back at him, obviously feeling much better than he had earlier. "Yuda… I think you did find a way to make me feel better right now." After turning onto his side in Yuda's arms, he cuddled against the taller angel's chest. "Mmh… I'm sleepy. You'll stay with me, right?"

Glad that Shin seemed to have found at least some reassurance that this wasn't a dream, Yuda nodded. "I never want to leave you."

* * *

**This chapter was mostly about Shin and Yuda, but they need some emotional talks and sweet moments too, right? ;) Next chapter will have more Rei and Ruka^^**


	4. The sun remains

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

Somewhere in the night, Rei again Kicked Ruka, startling the silver-haired angel awake. Groaning softly, he sat up and felt at his beloved one's forehead. Just as he had suspected, the fever had returned a bit, which explained why the smaller angel had accidentally kicked him. Rei usually was a quiet sleeper, never really moving around a lot unless he was having a nightmare. Or, like now, wasn't feeling well. As silent as possible, Ruka got out of bed to get a wet towel again.

A few minutes later, Rei finally stopped moving, and slept peacefully. Apparently the coldness of the towel worked fast, which was good since it meant that Ruka could also get back to sleep. Letting out a deep yawn, he snuggled closely against Rei, enjoying the warmth of the smaller angel's body and the bed-sheets.. Though it wasn't fall yet, it was already pretty chilly at night, which didn't make it any more pleasant to have to get out of the warm bed. Well, at least Rei seemed more comfortable now, his head against Ruka's chest and breathing softly against the taller angel's skin.

"Please don't kick me again," Ruka whispered, smiling softly. Rei, of course, couldn't have heard him, still deeply asleep. "Mmh…" Sleepily, Ruka closed his eyes and concentrated on Rei's soft warm body lying in his arms. Within moments, he drifted off to sleep.

Somewhere just before sunset, Rei startled awake. It was still quiet outside, only some birds chirping softly, and Ruka was still fast asleep against his side. Then what had woke him up? Well, it didn't really matter anyway, all seemed peaceful and he didn't recall having any kind of nightmare. In fact, he felt better than he had in a long time. Stretching his arms above his head he yawned, and then sat up. Careful not to wake up his beloved one, he picked op Ruka's arm that was laying over the smaller angel's waist, and gently laid it onto the mattress. The silver-haired angel only sighed, but didn't wake up.

Having gotten himself out of Ruka's embrace, Rei stood up. His legs still felt a bit wobbly from the past fever and the lack of food, but his head didn't hurt anymore and he was pretty sure his temperature had fully returned to normal. So he carefully walked to the cabinet where he kept his closed, and changed into his angel-robe. Then he picked up his hairbrush and diadem and sat back down onto the bed. This time, Ruka mumbled something inaudible when he felt the mattress move slightly.

"No need to wake up yet," the smaller angel tried to soothe him. When Ruka seemed fully asleep again, Rei started brushing his long purple hair, wanting to be fully dressed and presentable when his beloved one would wake up. Not only to make sure his angel wouldn't worry as much anymore, but also secretly because he didn't want Ruka to try and convince him to stay in bed for yet another day. Sure, it wouldn't be wise to move around too much already, and he probably would have to take a nap eventually, his energy levels still quite low. But to stay in bed all day again would be boring, and besides, he wanted to do something useful again.

So when he was done with his hair, he silently got out of bed and left the room, hoping Ruka wouldn't be too startled not to find him in bed when he would awaken. Well, his angel knew him good enough to know he'd be in the kitchen. Walking into the hallway, he wobbled a bit when he was suddenly distracted by a door opening. Gai's room. "Ah, R-Rei!" The small blonde almost sounded startled. "Eh… you're feeling better, I assume?"

"Yes, a lot actually," Rei replied, smiling softly. "Why are you up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep anymore. So I thought I'd go look if anyone else would be awake already."

"Well then, would you mind making breakfast with me? I haven't done any chores for the past days, so I'm feeling a bit useless," Rei admitted.

"You were ill, it's not like you were being lazy! Besides, even if you'd have been in any state to cook or do anything else, do you think Ruka would have let you get out of bed with that fever?" That last bit sounded somewhat amused, and Rei felt his cheeks heating up a bit.

"Eh… I don't think so indeed." He couldn't suppress a faint smile. "He's still a bit overly protective of me, I guess."

"Yeah, more than a bit," Gai grinned. "Either way, what where you planning on making for breakfast?"

"Haven't thought of that yet, actually." He thought about it for a moment, while they slowly walked towards the stairs. "Something easy, preferably. My head's still a bit… fuzzy. So I'd rather not do something complicated involving a lot off cooking-hot pans."

"Yeah, if you'd hurt yourself while I'm the only one with you, I'd have to flee for Ruka," Gai teased.

"Ah, that's mean!" Rei made a weak attempt to chase him, but the smaller angel was much faster at the moment. Besides, right now he'd better concentrate on getting down the stairs in one piece. At the second step he took, he already almost lost his balance. "Oops," he grumbled, somewhat annoyed with himself.

"Need any help?" Gai asked, not in a teasing tone but actually sounding worried.

"If you don't mind," Rei replied, smiling sheepishly. "My legs feel like jelly."

"Duh, you've only been in bed, barely eating for the past days. Come on." Gai grabbed Rei's hand, helping the taller angel to steady himself while walking down. They got downstairs without dropping, which was a relieve, and in the kitchen Gai immediately started setting the table. For a moment, Rei just watched the small blonde in surprise.

"Since when are you so helpful?" he asked, while walking to the refrigerator.

A long, somewhat uncomfortable silence. "Since you just collapsed when we got back from Heaven," Gai then replied, sounding embarrassed. "It scared me."

"It did?" Not that he had thought Gai didn't care, they were friends after all, but he hadn't been that ill. "It's not like I was in any serious danger."

"No, but people don't collapse and then later stay asleep for a day, just because they feel a 'little' unwell."

"I guess that's true," Rei had to admit. Honestly, if his body wouldn't have forced him to take enough rest, he wouldn't have admitted not feeling well at all.

"We're friends, it's logical that I care about you," Gai muttered, his cheeks a bit reddened. Rei only smiled and hugged him for a moment. "S-so, let's go on with breakfast already."

"All right," Rei agreed happily. Even though it made him feel shy, it was always nice to hear friends say that they care. "Anyhow, what about pancakes? Special ones, with whipped cream and jelly and syrup and anything sweet."

"In a good mood?" Gai chuckled.

"Yeah," Rei grinned, gathering the ingredients for pancakes. Besides tasty, this was also something easy since all he really had to do was making dough and then baking it into pancakes. "Can you put anything possibly addible to a pancake on the table?"

"Okay." Enthusiastically, the small blonde dragged anything sweet he could find to the table. Just when he was done, Ruka walked into the room, followed by Goh. Moments later, Maya and Kira followed. "Good morning!" Gai yelled.

The two taller angels replied a lot more quiet, but both gave Rei a somewhat relieved look. "I'm glad you seem to feel better," Goh said.

Rei smiled happily. "Me too. So I thought it be nice to make breakfast for everyone."

"Shouldn't you take it a bit more easy?" Ruka asked concerned. "You still had a fever last night."

"I know, but I feel fine now. I'll probably be tired more quickly than usual, but other than that I'm all right," Rei tried to convince him. He knew that his beloved one just didn't want him to hurt himself, but he couldn't stay in bed for yet another day. Especially now that the fever was gone, he'd only feel lazy if he didn't get up to do something. "Besides, don't you like my cooking?" He tried to look hurt, but he couldn't stop himself from grinning.

"Of course I do," Ruka smiled, gently embracing the purple-haired angel and giving him a long kiss onto his lips. Still not completely steady, Rei leaned heavily against him, his eyes closed. Even after the kiss had ended, the smaller angel didn't move. "Are you okay?"

"Mmh… definitely," Rei sighed contently, opening his eyes to look at Ruka. "You taste even better than pancakes."

"Well, I'm glad about that," Ruka chuckled, before helping Rei to put all the pancakes on the table. "Has anyone seen Shin or Yuda?"

"I'll go look if they're awake already," Rei offered, walking out of the room before even waiting for an answer. The stairs proved to be a difficulty again, but climbing up it was somehow easier to keep his balance, than it were while climbing down. After taking a moment to catch his breath when he arrived upstairs, he walked to Shin's room and knocked on the door. "Breakfast is ready downstairs!"

"Mmh? Yeah, we'll be there in a few minutes!" Yuda's voice sounded sleepily. "You don't have to wait for us."

Rei didn't even try to suppress the amused smile when he heard that reply. "Well, don't hurry yourselves!" Though he knew Yuda and Shin wouldn't 'do' anything, it was fun to tease them a bit.

"We're not… We only have to dress ourselves!" Shin's voice sounded embarrassedly.

"All right, I'll go ahead downstairs," Rei replied with a grin, and then slowly began on his way back to the kitchen. The stairs were impossible to be walked safely, and he didn't want to ask for help, so he just sat down on top and slid down step by step. Luckily, no one had come looking what was taking him so long, so no one had seen it. Letting out a relieved sigh, he slowly walked back to the kitchen. "They'll be here in a few minutes, and they said we can start eating already." Sitting down next to Ruka, he saw the silver-haired angel looking at him strangely. "Something wrong?"

"Why is the back of your rope dusty?"

Oops. "Eh, I didn't want to take the risk of falling down the stairs, so I slid down step by step." Embarrassedly, he stared at his plate. Still, better not to lie at Ruka. His angel always knew when he was lying, and it would only worry him if Rei wouldn't just explain.

"You could have asked for help," Ruka remarked.

"I know, but I could also do it alone," Rei replied calmly.

"I'd wish I could have seen it," Kira chuckled. For once, the purple-haired angel decided not to respond to it. Instead, he just started eating.

After breakfast, Rei practically begged Ruka to take him out flying. "My fever is gone, so it's fine now, right?"

"You're still weakened, you could catch a cold," the taller angel argued. "Not that I don't love taking care of you, but I don't want you to gel ill again."

"I know." Rei sighed, somewhat defeated. "But I really want to go flying with you. We haven't gone flying carelessly for so long. I miss it." He really did, and he saw by the look on Ruka's face, that it was audible in his voice. But now the silver-haired angel almost seemed to feel guilty. "Ruka, please. You know flying is the thing I love to do most. And most of all when you're there with me."

"Rei…" A soft smile. "I really can't say no to you. But we won't go far, and if you're tired you have to tell me."

"All right," Rei replied with a bright smile, throwing his arms around Ruka's neck. "Thanks, I love you so much!"

At his beloved one's behavior, Ruka couldn't help but to feel glad for saying 'yes'. It was so easy to make Rei happy, it'd be a waste not to. Besides, he'd never seen anything in both Heaven or earth, that was as beautiful as Rei's smile. "I love you too, my angel. Then, shall we go in about an hour? Then you won't have to fly with a full stomach."

"Okay." Happily, Rei kissed him. "Then, were will we fly to?"

"What did you miss most?" Ruka asked, tenderly caressing the smaller angel's smooth cheek.

"I think… going as high as possible, just for fun." A short silence, in which Rei seemed to think of a way to express what he meant. "The feeling of freedom it used to give me. During the past moths, I never flied just for the fun of it. I miss the pure freedom of it, I guess."

Through his gift of empathy, Ruka felt what Rei meant. And he had to admit, he felt the same. "Then, why don't we just fly as high as out wings can take us?"

"That sounds great," Rei agreed enthusiastically. "But… then you'd have to keep holding my hand. My legs are still wobbly, so I don't know reliable my wings will be."

"Of course I won't let go," Ruka replied softly. "Like said, if you're too tired, you have to tell me." A soft chuckle. "You know I'd never skip a chance to carry you."

Immediately, Rei's cheeks heated up. "Ruka…" Trying to sound annoyed, Rei averted his gaze to the ground. He couldn't hide a faint smile, though. "Well… I guess I like being carried by you." His smile turned a bit shy, and he added; "Just… not in public."

Nearly an hour later, they walked outside together. Rei's slender hand being held in Ruka's slightly larger one, and their wings spread. The silver-haired angel felt his beloved one being a bit tense, tired even, but decided not to make a remark about it. It wouldn't be good for the mood, and besides, he'd be there to keep an eye on the smaller angel anyway. "Ready?" he asked gently.

"Definitely," Rei nodded, smiling at him. Those big dark-golden eyes in that beautiful, slightly pale face were sparkling in the bright sunlight. It had been days since his eyes had been so bright and energetic, which made the worried feeling in Ruka's stomach lessen a lot.

Slower than usual, to spare Rei's energy, they flew off towards the sky. Ruka heard the smaller angel breathing fast and he could sense Rei was having some difficulty getting off the ground. Still, he made it without needing Ruka's help. "You're still okay?" Ruka asked.

"I'm fine," Rei replied. "Let's go through the clouds!" Without letting go of Ruka's hand he sped up, almost dragging the taller angel along. Within minutes, they reached the clouds and Ruka felt Rei pressing himself against him, coughing softly. "T-the air is getting thin."

"Just hold on," Ruka whispered in his ear, before softly kissing him. "Literarily." At that, he felt Rei wrapping his arms around his waist, and in response, he embraced the smaller angel's shoulders. Letting out a deep sigh, the purple-haired angel relaxed. "Rei?"

"There's the sun," Rei whispered in his ear, trying not to waste any oxygen. "It's so bright."

Looking up, Ruka saw it too. Above the clouds, the world looked beautiful. So blue, the sun brighter than ever, and a fluffy white landscape below them. And Rei, even more beautiful than anything else. More angelic than anyone Ruka had ever met. Though he did seem rather exhausted, his face pale and breathing quickly. "Come here," he said softly, taking the smaller angel into his arms to support him fully.

Letting out a deep sigh, Rei withdrew his wings. Even though he could bring them back any moment he'd want to, it did made Ruka feel happy that his angel trusted him so much. Still he was starting to feel the lack of oxygen due to the thin air, and it was taking an effort to keep both of them in the air. "Rei, we can't stay up here much longer."

"Okay," Rei nodded, eyes half closed. "Mmh…" With some effort, he spread his wings again, getting back into their former position of holding each other. "Can we do this together? I'm not sure if I can get through the clouds without losing control."

Ruka only nodded, before diving down. After only a few meters, Rei went limp against him, his wings fluttering weakly. "Rei?" Ruka asked worriedly.

"Nng… S-sorry. Guess my body isn't as healed as I hoped," Rei groaned almost guiltily.

"You had a fever for days, that's why I told you not to push yourself," Ruka sighed, but then felt the smaller angel tensing up. "Just relax, it'll be fine." Rei only sighed, and then softly kissed the silver-haired angel's throat. The rest of the way down went in silence, the smaller angel wrapped tightly in his arms. "Shall I take you back to your room?"

"Could you take the window?" A somewhat embarrassed look. "I don't want to worry the others by being carried. And I'd really like to be able to cook dinner tonight, so I think I'd better take it easy this afternoon."

"We'll have about an hour until lunch," Ruka told him. "If you fall asleep, I'll wake you up in time to eat."

"I don't wanna sleep. I just want to lay down with you for a while. And maybe… cuddle a bit."

Ruka's breath hitched for a moment, but quickly tried to cover. "Eh… S-sure."

"Nothing more, don't worry," Rei smiled.

Indeed, minutes later they laid quietly on Rei's bed, Rei gently caressing Ruka's hair. The clouds had cleared, now allowing the sun to shine warmly through the window, like it was paying them a visit in return. A welcome visit, lighting up and warming the room. A pretty comfortable warmth, apparently, since Ruka had drifted off to sleep almost immediately after they had lied down on the bed. Well, not that it mattered. The silver-haired angel was pretty cute when he slept, or so Rei thought.

Tracing the other angel's face with his fingertips, feeling how soft Ruka's skin was, he smiled. Although he secretly loved being cared for by his beloved one, this felt so… right. Together, but now with him in charge of protecting Ruka. Giving his angel a soft kiss, Rei snuggled against him, closing his eyes. He hadn't been planning on sleeping, but it wasn't like he had anything better to do, right? Within moments, he was lost in dreamland.

* * *

**Sorry about the… kinda crappy… ending of this chapter, but I refuse to miss my deadline... (so I was in a bit of a hurry XD )  
Either way, I hope this was fun to read anyway ;)**

**I'll update next Sunday^^**


	5. Time goes on

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

"Rei, Ruka?" Someone gently shook at the purple-haired angel's shoulder, and Rei groaned sleepily. Opening his eyes, he saw Shin leaning over him. "It's time for lunch, will you two come down too?"

"Yeah." Letting out a long yawn, Rei sat up. "We went flying all the way to above the clouds, so I guess even Ruka was tired."

"But your fever hasn't returned. That's a good sign," the blue-haired angel remarked.

"Mmh. It hasn't returned, but I do feel rather tired," Rei admitted. "But that should wear off in a few days." Gently, he woke Ruka and informed him that it was lunch-time.

The silver-haired angel looked up at him sleepily, but did sit up quickly. "Ouch…" Groaning softly, he closed his eyes again, nearly collapsing against Rei. "Geez, I'm tired." Without saying anything, Rei took his angel into his arms, kissing him gently onto his head. "Rei, now I feel childish," Ruka chuckled softly.

"Fits your personality, sometimes," the purple-haired angel teased him gently.

"Mmh… Well, you've had enough examples of maturity." Ruka couldn't suppress a grin when both Rei and Shin's faces went bright red. The blue-haired angel shot a short glance towards the door, probably thinking of getting out as quickly as possible.

"Ruka…" Rei shot him a faint glare. "Don't embarrass him."

"Sorry," Ruka mumbled with a grin. "Mommy."

Rei tried hard to look angry, but he couldn't help but to chuckle slightly. "You do realize then… that you do quite strange things to your mother." At the look on Ruka's face, he finally let out a true laugh. "Let's go eat now." Immediately, he stood up and walked to the door, dragging Shin along.

The blue-haired angel looked at him almost as surprised as Ruka. "You're usually not the type I can imagine saying that."

"So? He started it," Rei muttered. "Am I usually that… boring?" He always tried to be fun, or at least enjoyable company.

"You're not boring. Just shy and sweet, which is a good thing. And you're funny." A soft smile. "I just hadn't ever heard you say anything so… you know, adult-rated." Shin's cheeks went a bit red. "Sorry if I shouldn't have said that."

Rei gave him a reassuring smile. "I said it without thinking, actually. But Ruka's face was entirely worth it." With those last words, he looked behind at his beloved one, who was now following them to the kitchen. Ruka gave him a grin, gently pulling at Rei's hair per revenge.

At lunch, Ruka sat closely next to him. Rei tried to eat as much as he did usually, but the fever of the last few days hadn't done too much good for his appetite. Besides, his muscles still didn't want to cooperate, making it an effort to make a decent sandwich. Well, at least there was more than enough tasty sandwich-filling on the table. After merely one sandwich with peanut-butter, though, he just couldn't force himself to make another one.

"Rei? Shall I make you another sandwich?" Ruka suddenly offered. "You've only ate one."

"Oh… If you wouldn't mind," Rei replied with a shy smile. "Sorry for the trouble, it's just that my body's still a bit sore."

"I don't mind helping, you know that. So what do you want on it?"

"Eh…" For a moment, Rei thought about it, trying to ignore the sliced chicken which Gai insisted on eating. "Can I have some strawberry jelly?"

"Okay." Quickly, Ruka made him a sandwich, and Rei accepted it gratefully. Although he wasn't that hungry anymore, he did entirely finish it. After all, Ruka had made it for him, and besides, he knew it'd worry the silver-haired angel if he'd eat less than two sandwiches.

"Rei? Will you be well enough to cook this evening?" Goh asked him.

"I will," Rei nodded enthusiastically, hoping someone would offer to help. Sure, no one would say 'no' if he'd ask, but he didn't want them to feel obligated to help.

Luckily, Shin as usual offered to assist. "Can I help you, then?"

"That'd be great, thanks." The purple-haired angel gave his friend a relieved smile. Ruka would probably keep near him too, but hopefully wouldn't be too overly protective while the blue-haired angel was there to help. Besides, Shin was his best friend for a good reason, he always enjoyed spending time with him. Now he'd only have to figure out what to cook. "Then, do you have some time to search for a nice recipe later on today?"

Since there weren't any other businesses to be taken care of, they went to the library directly after lunch. Ruka went to go training outside with Yuda, which Rei was glad about. Not that he didn't want his beloved to come with him and Shin, but Ruka had been with him all the time for the past few days. The silver-haired angel deserved some time with other people too. Besides, it was nice to be just with Shin for a while, since there just were some things they couldn't discuss while the main subjects were with them in the room.

Well, first things first; they'd have to pick a nice recipe that wouldn't be extremely hard to make. Considering that he'd even had trouble making a sandwich, it wouldn't be a wise idea to choose something that required all of his cooking-skills. "So… any suggestions?"

"You're asking that to someone who can barely cook an egg properly?" Shin chuckled.

"You're not that bad," Rei tried to be nice. Truly, he wasn't. It was just that he was usually somewhat… clumsy in the kitchen. Even simple recipes didn't go exactly as planned most of the time, but even he could cook an egg. "You're in the library so often, don't you have any ideas about which book has nice recipes?"

"Well, the one up there is supposed to be classy, but without too much difficulty," Shin replied, pointing at a large yellow book on the top shelf. "We'd have to use a chair to reach it, though."

Rei already started dragging a chair to the bookcase that held the yellow book, but hesitated then. His legs were still a bit wobbly, and he wasn't completely sure if he'd manage to keep his balance if he'd climb on a chair and then reach out above him. "Eh, would you mind getting it?" he asked softly, looking at the floor. "I'm afraid I'll fall."

"Sure." Quickly, Shin grabbed the book and handed it to the purple-haired angel. Together they sat down at the nearest table to read it. "Maybe something with fish? That's easy to eat, not too chewy."

Ignoring the fact that he was being treated like a child again, Rei just nodded. "We'll have to go out and buy some, though." Which he wasn't really looking forward to.

"Hm… which fish do you want?"

"There's a nice recipe here with plaice, and the fish itself is the only thing we don't have," Rei replied.

"Okay, wait a moment please." Shin walked out, and moments later Rei heard him talking to Gai, followed by an enthusiastic shout from the cat-like angel. "He'll go buy some together with Maya," Shin explained when he came back.

"What did you gave him as reward?" Rei asked curiously.

"Well…" Seemingly a bit reluctant to reply, Shin looked at the floor. "Eh, I gave him some extra money to buy himself and Maya some chicken-wings. Sorry."

Rei couldn't suppress a small pout, but hid it before his friend looked up. "Well, those chickens are dead anyway, whether they eat them or not," he sighed. At least we won't have to go out to buy fish."

"Indeed. And since he'll now have something else to eat, the fish will get home without being half-eaten."

That remark managed to make Rei chuckle a bit. "I guess that's a good thing indeed."

"Anyway, what time do we have to start on making dinner? It'd be nice to be able to eat around seven o 'clock."

"Well, considering I'm not at a hundred percent, and you're… not always completely good at cooking, I think we'll need about an hour to make this. Baking the fish won't take long, the vegetables and sauce only a bit longer, but the preparations will take most of the time. We'll have to cut up a lot of different vegetables, and I also want to make some dessert."

"We have whipped cream and vanilla ice cream," Shin told him. "Is that what you had in mind?"

"Didn't we still have some old chocolate, from before we went on that quest?" Rei thought out loud.

"I don't think that's still eatable."

"It won't be tasty now, but I could make some chocolate sauce," Rei explained.

"That sounds nice," his friend responded. "But wouldn't it already have cooled off by the time dessert will be served?"

"It only takes minutes to make it, so I can do it while someone else clears the table from the main dish," the purple-haired angel explained. It would be a lot more work than he felt up to, but he'd have help and he'd have some time to rest beforehand. "As long as you'll help, it'll work out fine."

"Okay then." After a short silence. "Shall we go look at Yuda and Ruka? They were going to train close to home, so we should be able to find them quickly."

Rei thought about it for a moment. Though he felt tired, and really just wanted to go to him room and rest for a bit, he also liked to see Ruka and Yuda sparring together. Besides, if he'd feel too tired, he knew Shin wouldn't mind to walk him back home. "All right," he nodded. "Just… well, don't walk too fast." A sheepish smile. "Or I'll end up on the ground."

"Don't worry," his friend reassured him, gently helping him to stand up from his chair before picking up the book. "Let's put this in the kitchen first."

After a short trip to the kitchen, they went outside. Rei felt himself shivering slightly due to the cold wind, but tried not to let it show. Still, it was only some minutes until the blue-haired angel softly placed his arm around Rei's shoulders. Gratefully, the other angel walked a bit closer to him, eager for the warmth of Shin's body. "Thanks," he mumbled.

"Just say so if you want to go back," his friend told him softly, giving him a worried glance. "It be my fault if your fever would return because you walked outside."

"That wouldn't be your fault," Rei immediately responded. "I wouldn't have gone outside if I really hadn't wanted to."

"Yes you would. You're always so nice."

"But…" A long sigh. "I guess you're right. Still, it's my responsibility." And though it was true that he would have gone with Shin anyway, just because he hated to say 'no' to his friends, that wasn't something the blue-haired angel needed to know. It'd only make him feel guilty. "Besides, it's not that cold," he mumbled.

"It is, and you're still healing, which makes it worse," Shin remarked, but then dropped the subject. "Ah, there they are!"

At that, Rei looked up to see Ruka and Yuda fighting each other, both obviously having fun. In silence, hoping not to get noticed, the two smaller angels sat down underneath a large tree. With a smile on his face, Rei relaxed against Shin's shoulder, enjoying the view of his beloved one in action. Those smooth movements, those muscles, that energetic look in his eyes. He looked beautiful, without doubt. It was visible, though, that he and Yuda had been training for a while already, and they both seemed to be getting tired.

Especially Ruka seemed to be slower than usual, probably due to the fact that he had gone flying with Rei earlier. It didn't take long until both angels noticed the two sitting underneath the tree, and stopped their sparring. "Rei, shouldn't you stay inside the house?" Ruka asked immediately, sitting down across his beloved one.

"We just wanted to see you two training," the purple-haired angel responded. "Besides, Shin provides enough warmth.

"Yeah, he's a great heat-source," Yuda chuckled, making Shin blush a bit.

"Well, shall we return home anyway?" Ruka suggested. "Since we're done sparring, and it's not exactly the kind of weather that makes it nice to sit outside."

The other three agreed, and Rei and Shin moved to walk hand in hand with their beloved ones. Letting out a soft sigh, Rei leaned his head against Ruka's shoulder. It made walking a bit harder, especially since his legs still didn't feel to steady, but it was worth it to feel so close to the silver-haired angel. Shin and Yuda seemed more shy, but it didn't take long until Shin shyly wrapped his arm around Yuda's waist, the red-haired angel placing an arm around his shoulders in response.

"So, did you find a nice recipe?" Ruka asked, after some time.

"Yes we did," Rei replied enthusiastically. "Shin and me will start on it around six o 'clock so it should be ready around seven. And I'll make a dessert."

"Sounds nice," Yuda responded. "Just be careful with knifes."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Rei replied, almost defensive.

"I know you will." Yuda sighed. "It's mainly Shin who I'm worried about." At the glare that his angel gave him, he chuckled. "I didn't mean to offend you. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Still, you shouldn't treat me like a child," the blue-haired angel told him softly. "I'm not that good at cooking, but I'm capable of cutting up vegetables without injuring myself."

"Sorry." Gently, Yuda kissed him. "I just… love you." That seemed to be enough of an explanation for Shin, since the blue-haired angel smiled softly and didn't say anything about it anymore. The rest of the way back home went in silence, and Rei started to feel more and more like he was sleepwalking, starting to get trouble keeping his eyes open.

Inside the house, he was immediately pulled to the garden by Gai. "When we got back from getting the fish, I found an injured bird!" the small blonde told him. "Can you help him?"

"How injured?" Rei asked, sleepy but alarmed. He'd do anything to help, but there was a difference between a scratch or ripped off wings, especially since Yuda couldn't heal animals. Hoping it wouldn't be too serious, he followed the cat-like angel to a small garden-table.

At seeing the bird, he closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a somewhat shaky sigh. It had probably been attached by a cat, most of his intestines visible through a large wound in its front. "I think… you'd better ask someone else to take care of it," he mumbled after a moment, looking at Gai.

"But…" the blonde started, obviously not noticing how close Rei felt to throwing up.

"It's beyond saving," Rei interrupted him. "The most humane thing would be to…" The bird made a weak noise of pain. Feeling a bit dizzy, Rei stepped back. "Do you know how to?" Why did Gai had to show him this? Probably because the small blonde had thought Rei would be able to save the bird.

"I thought so," the blonde admitted, looking at the ground. "But… I don't know how to. If I do it wrong, it'll only be hurt worse."

So the blonde wanted him to… to end the bird's suffering? True, due to Rei's love for birds, he knew how to handle them without causing pain. And he had done it a few times earlier, knowing it was for the best if the bird would get sent to Heaven. But it still was something he hated doing, and he had been sick for days after the other times, since to him it felt the same as to kill a human. Still, hadn't he became stronger in the past months? "Okay. Just… stay here," he said softly, taking the small bird into his hands. It looked so hurt and sad, the purple-haired angel felt tears burning in his eyes.

With one small movement, he snapped the birds neck and felt the small animal going limp. "Maybe I'll see you in Heaven once," he whispered, to quiet for Gai to hear. "I'm sorry you had to die this way." Tenderly he laid the bird back onto the table, before finally his legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground. "Rei!" Worriedly, Gai wrapped his arms around the taller angel, helping him to keep sitting up. "S-sorry… I'm f-fine," Rei mumbled, trying to stop the harsh shivers going through his slender body.

"Should I go get Ruka?"

"No, he'd be worried. Don't… tell anyone." Taking in a deep breath, he realized that it felt way less horrible that it did before. "I'll be fine if I just sit here for a moment. Could… you bury the bird?" Seeing it lying there wasn't really helping.

Gai only nodded, and carefully buried it. Then, he looked at Rei again. "I'm sorry. It's probably done by one of the cats I play with, they're the only ones who hang around here."

"It's just nature, so you're not to blame. Besides, if you hadn't come to get me, it would have died slowly and painfully. At least now it was over quickly." The shivering had finally stopped, and he slowly got onto his feet. "Again, please don't tell anyone. If Ruka or Shin find out, they'd worry over me for days, and that… tends to get a bit annoying." He didn't want to sound ungrateful, but it did make him feel somewhat hurt to be treated like some weak porcelain doll, or some extremely naïve child.

"I won't," Gai promised, and then gave him a somewhat awkward hug. "Still, I'm sorry you had to do this."

"Don't worry about it," Rei replied reassuring, before stepping back. "I think I'd better go find Ruka now, before he'll start looking for me." Indeed, he ran into the silver-haired angel in the hallway, and Ruka immediately looked at him a bit strangely. "Rei? Are you all right?"

"Y-yeah, why wouldn't I be?" the purple-haired angel responded immediately.

"You're a bit pale," his angel said, gently caressing Rei's cheek. "Do you feel ill again?"

"No, I'm just a bit tired," Rei tried to convince him. "I think I should just rest a bit, that's all."

"Then we'll go to your room," Ruka decided, wrapping an arm around Rei's slim shoulders. "If you don't mind me coming with you, that is."

"Of course I don't." Besides, he didn't really plan on sleeping, just on laying down for a bit and talking. Together, they walked up the stairs and to Rei's room.

For some time they laid on their back on Rei's bed, enjoying the warm sunlight coming through the window. It made the purple-haired angel remember days when he and Ruka had only just met. Well, when he'd just became an adult angel, and finally gathered the courage to officially introduce himself to the silver-haired angel. Those times when they had went flying, still getting to know each other better, flying in the bright sunlight, resting in trees and meadows. Though at those times, Rei had felt way to self-conscious to relax completely, and even Ruka had seemed almost shy at times.

Right now, on the other hand, he did feel completely relaxed and safe, knowing now that he didn't have to try so hard to be worth of Ruka's friendship or even love. The silver-haired angel loved him anyway, just as Rei loved him without any reservations. A happy smile on his face, he looked at his beloved one. Ruka had his eyed closed, and was lying on his side with one arm wrapped around Rei's waist, but the purple-haired angel knew his beloved one was still awake. Somehow, he always knew that.

Without any evident reason, Ruka suddenly opened his eyes to look back at him. Those deep crimson orbs could be so energetic and fiery when he was fighting, but right now they were calm and even a bit sleepy. "I love your eyes," the purple-haired angel whispered. The taller angel just smiled and gave him a tender kiss. "Mmh…" Letting out a sigh against Ruka's lips, Rei turned over onto his side, snuggling against his lover's chest. A soft knock on the door startled them both, though.

"Y-yes?" Rei stammered, quickly sitting up.

The door opened, and Goh looked in. "We've been summoned by Zeus, so we should go now. There's a new assignment, and it's urgent."

Ruka stood up from the bed, helping Rei to stand up too. Trying not to seem too concerned, Rei followed without any complaints. He couldn't shake off the feeling of uneasiness, though. Considering what they'd already been through, this really had be something serious to be considered 'urgent'. Sometime later, his fears got confirmed when they got the information about their new assignment.

* * *

**Yay! I finally figured out a storyline (at least a bit XD ) So from this chapter on there'll be more action ;)**

**I'll update next week, as usual^^**


	6. Knowing that you love me

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**So… unexpectedly, here comes a little treat for the people who are still reading this XD  
WARNING: Yaoi!**

* * *

Ruka felt the smaller angel standing next to him suppressing a wince when it became clear what the situation was. And he couldn't help feeling a painful sting of guilt at that. No wonder Rei reacted this way, last time they had gotten involved with Hell, they had been convinced to start a rebellion against Zeus. This time, though, it seemed there'd purely be enemies, as itwould mean the end of the world as they knew it, if those demons would succeed. Almost in a state of shock, they left the hall.

"How… how will we able to defeat them?" Goh asked, to no one in particular.

"They… they're practically doing the same thing as Ruka and me tried to," Yuda said, staring at the floor. "But… they're fully aware of what they're doing. We'll never be able to talk them out of it, no matter what we try." His voice was trembling slightly, and Shin discretely took his hand.

"So we'll have to… kill them?" Rei asked, his soft voice a bit higher than usual.

"Either that, or we should manage to capture them and bring them to Zeus," Goh replied. "But we'll have to manage to get to them first, meaning we'll have to go into Hell. And the lower class demons and convicted souls won't make it an easy trip."

Ruka didn't feel himself shivering until Rei suddenly grabbed his hand and gave him a worried look. The silver-haired angel tried to smile reassuring, but he barely managed to look the smaller angel in the eyes. He didn't want to go back into Hell. Last time had been bad enough, and now they'd be there for at least days. He didn't want to have to go though those memories again, feel that horrible pain and loss. Taking a shuddering breath, he forced himself to calm down. They didn't have a choice, they couldn't let the world be destroyed. He had to be strong.

"So, tomorrow we'll start on research?" Shin asked, making Ruka realize he had missed a part of the conversation.

"That'd be best. We'd better prepare as good as possible," Yuda agreed, apparently managing to keep calm better than Ruka. The silver-haired angel could see the stress in his friend's eyes, though.

"Can we go back home now, then?" Gai asked, standing almost against Goh's side.

In silent agreement, they stepped closer to each other and descended back to earth, where Ruka quietly waited until Rei was done talking with Shin and went to his room. Still not saying anything, Ruka followed him. It wasn't until they were alone, that he finally just collapsed onto Rei's bed and curled up, unable to fight the memories and fear any longer. Almost immediately, he felt his angel's arms around him, and Rei's slender body leaning over him protectively. "Ruka? D-do you want to talk?" He sounded somewhat unsure.

"N… ng…" Unable to talk, he only shook his head, his body feeling like it was trapped in the past. Seemingly understanding how his angel felt, Rei started caressing his back, making soothing sounds like Ruka was a scared child, apparently managing to stay calm himself. It was only a façade, though, Ruka realized that when he felt something wet dripping onto his cheek. It did somehow help him to get a grip on himself, forcing himself to open his eyes and look at his beloved one. Rei's beautiful face was pale from worry, and probably the lingering after-effects from his fever, and tears were slowly falling from those large golden eyes. "Don't… don't cry," Ruka whispered, lifting up a trembling hand to caress the other angel's cheek.

Rei managed to smile through his tears, closing his eyes for a moment. "Sorry. It's just so horrible to see you like this, and being unable to help you."

"You do help." Memories resurfaced again, and he shivered. "H-hold me… please?"

Without any reluctance, Rei laid down against him, wrapping his arms tightly around the taller angel. "I'll hold you forever, if you need me to."

At the moment, Ruka felt like he did need that, but didn't say a word. Still shivering a bit, he pressed his body against Rei's, concentrating on his beautiful angel to fight off the effects of the mental trauma. It didn't completely work, but at least he finally felt himself starting to calm down. "S-sorry for breaking down like that," he mumbled, feeling almost completely relaxed. When no reply came, though, his sudden fear that Rei was angry or disappointed with him, nearly made him panic again.

As soon as he looked up and saw his angel's face, he almost laughed at himself. "Rei…" Why would the purple-haired angel be angry? And he was way too sweet and caring to ever be disappointed in someone for needing comfort. The only reason his beloved one didn't reply, was that he had drifted off to sleep. No wonder, really. The smaller angel had seemed exhausted, and his body still was weakened from the past days. Silently, Ruka lifted his hand and rested in on Rei's cheek, before softly kissing him.

"Mmh…" A soft groan, followed by a faint smile. "Ruka?"

"Are you awake?" The silver-haired angel asked gently.

"Yeah. Are you all right?" Letting out a yawn, Rei snuggled against him.

"I'm fine now." When he kissed his angel again, he felt Rei's slender body pressing against his own, the purple-haired angel's breath somewhat quickened. Tenderly, Ruka started combing though his beloved one's hair with his fingers. For a while, Rei just let himself be kissed, but then suddenly took initiative, softly moving his tongue over Ruka's lips to ask entrance. Taking a deep breath, the silver-haired angel allowed him to deepen their kiss. Letting out a content moan, the smaller angel curled up against him, their legs crossing, and Ruka felt his cheeks turning red. Well, Rei was blushing as well, so that didn't matter in the least.

Either way, Rei was still recovering, so… "Shouldn't we… not be doing this? I mean, we have a lot to do tomorrow, and you have to go making dinner three hours from now," he mumbled, after reluctantly breaking their kiss.

Rei smiled, his dark-golden eyes almost sparkling. "The work tomorrow is the reason we shouldn't do this tonight. But… as long as you aren't too rough, which I know you won't be…" The red on his cheeks deepened, and he looked away shyly. "You know… I'd really love to do 'that' once again before we start on our new assignment."

"I'll be gentle with you," Ruka promised, kissing his beautiful angel once again. "But let's lock the door first, all right?"

Rei let out a nervous laugh and sat up, while Ruka quickly went to the door to lock it. He did feel a bit scared, remembering the pain from last time. But it had been well-worth it, and this time he already knew how it would feel. Besides, he just needed to be with Ruka so badly right now, especially after seeing his beautiful strong angel breaking down a bit earlier. This would definitely make Ruka feel better, driving the memories away. And honestly, Rei didn't mind it one bit either.

While sitting back down, Ruka captured Rei's lips again, this time making it an intimate one immediately. "Nng…" Unable to suppress a low moan, the purple-haired angel loosened Ruka's angel-robe, revealing the muscled chest underneath it. The taller angel shivered pleasantly under his touch, meanwhile undoing Rei's clothing quickly. As soon as their clothes laid discarded on the floor, Ruka wrapped his arms around Rei's slender body, moving his lips to Rei's collarbone, kissing it and then nibbling on it gently.

Letting out a small groan, Rei moved up one of his legs, his upper leg touching a sensitive part of Ruka's body. "Mmh… Rei…" A soft gasp. "I l-love you."

"Love you… too," Rei whispered, moving his leg a bit. His angel shivered again, and Rei slowly turned over onto his stomach. "Don't hesitate… please," he whispered, feeling his cheeks heating up even more. Although he felt comforted by how gently and careful Ruka touched him, he wouldn't be able to bear it if the silver-haired angel wouldn't hurry. Letting out a slightly breathless gasp, he felt Ruka prepping him, while kissing his softly on the back of his neck to distract him.

"Rei?" The unspoken question was answered with a quick nod. Oh, he was more than ready.

Unable to stifle a loud moan when Ruka entered him, the smaller angel curled his back, pressing against his beloved one's chest. Gently, Ruka pushed his hands underneath Rei's body, starting to stroke that one part only he had the privilege to touch, especially in such a way. "N…ngg.." His back and behind were hurting, but at the same time it felt so good. So amazing, and Rei felt the pressure building when Ruka softly nibbled at his shoulder. "Ah!" A short flicker of pain went through his arm.

"S-sorry…" Ruka groaned.

A faint smile when he realized his angel accidentally had bitten too hard. "Mmh… feels kinda…" Trying to hold in a moan, but failing at it, he interrupted himself for a moment. "D-do it… again…"

Although reluctantly, Ruka bit him again, this time licking tenderly at the small spot of blood. "Mmh… Rei…" A gasp, and Rei knew his beloved wouldn't be able to hold for much longer. Which was good, since he was getting quite close too. "R-Rei…" Hearing his angel groaning out his name while he came, was enough to push Rei over the edge too. Briefly he realized he had been right, it was even more amazing than last time, but then all thoughts were pushed aside by the pure sensation taking over his body.

"Rei? Rei, are you okay?"

"Mmh?" Slowly, the purple-haired angel opened his eyes, just in time to feel Ruka pulling out of him. "Ouch…" That was a feeling he'd probably never get used to.

"Rei?" Dropping down onto the mattress, and gently pulling the smaller angel into his arms, Ruka gave him a worried glance. "Did I hurt you? You blacked out for a moment, after you… well, you know."

It was a bit cute how shy the silver-haired angel still was about the subject, and Rei smiled amusedly for a moment. The worried look in Ruka's eyes didn't fade completely, though, so he sighed and replied; "I'm fine. You didn't hurt me at all, at least not in a bad way. The intensity of it just… shut me down for a moment, I guess." His smile returned. "But I don't see that as a bad thing."

This time, Ruka did smile back, tiredly. "Then, let's move over a bit to a clean spot and sleep for a while? I'll clean the bed while you make dinner."

"Okay," Rei mumbled, before letting out a yawn. Some minutes later, he fell asleep in Ruka's arms, being followed shortly by his beloved one.

"Eh… excuse me?" Someone was knocking on the door.

"Mmh… what?" Rei replied, slowly sitting up.

"Oops. Dinner," Ruka reminded him, only just waking up himself. "You should get dressed. And clean yourself a bit."

"I'll be downstairs in a few minutes, sorry to make you wait!" Rei yelled, guessing it was Shin on the other side of the door.

"All right," his friend replied.

It took him about fifteen minutes to make himself presentable, and immediately started apologizing when he walked into the kitchen. "I should have minded the time."

"It's all right. What were you doing anyway? You usually don't lock your door," Shin replied, somewhat naïvely.

"Well…" Rei felt a faint blush coming over his cheeks. "Eh, Ruka and I were kissing a bit, and then we… went a bit further than kissing. And we fell asleep afterwards." The look on Shin's face was almost funny. "What? I've washed myself before coming here."

"Doesn't your… behind hurt?" the blue-haired angel asked, his tone somewhere between worried and shy.

"A bit, yes. But I usually use my hands to cook," Rei replied with an amused smile. "Shall we start on making dinner now?"

Dinner was made without too much problems, Shin only cut his own finger once when Ruka had walked in to ask Rei if he was all right. "You shouldn't be so embarrassed about that subject," the purple-haired angel told him softly, after Yuda had healed Shin's hand. "It would make it harder not to feel awkward, when you're going to do it with Yuda." The other angel only nodded, knowing Rei was right, but unable to force himself not to feel so self-conscious when he thought of doing 'that' with his beloved one.

Though he knew Yuda loved him, it was a fact that Shin always over-thought things. And he felt so scared that if the moment would be there, he'd feel too unsure about how to act and react, that he'd be too pre-occupied by thinking too much, to actually do something. In short, he was terrified that he wouldn't be able to just rely on his heart instead of his mind, and would thereby ruin it.

"You know, when the time is right you won't be able to stop your body," Rei said softly, guessing what his friend was thinking about. "No matter what, you won't do anything wrong, I just know it."

Shin again only nodded, but this time he actually did feel better. "Thanks," he mumbled. "But… can we drop the subject now? Before someone walks in on us talking about those things."

The rest of the time that making dinner took them, they talked about random things, avoiding any serious subjects. Considering tonight could very well be their last relatively carefree evening for a long time, neither of them felt the need to spoil that.

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**So… I hope you liked the yaoi part ;)  
From this chapter on, there'll be more angst, so it'll hopefully get a lot more interesting.**

**I'll update in a week^^**


	7. Evening falls

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Sorry for not updating last week, I had a flu ^^'**

* * *

"It tastes great," Ruka complemented both Rei and Shin, during dinner. Both of the smaller angels blushed shyly, but clearly happy.

"There'll also be a tasty dessert," Rei promised, grinning at Gai's reaction. The small blonde immediately looked up at the word dessert, looking at Rei like a hungry cat would at his owner. "Yes, Gai, you can have as much as you want," Rei added amusedly.

"Yay!" Gai yelled.

"You don't even know yet what dessert will be," Maya remarked chuckling.

"So? Anything Rei makes tastes great!" the small blonde responded enthusiastically, causing Rei's cheeks to heat up again. Even though he always felt happy when someone praised him about his cooking, it'd still make him feel shy. Gai only seemed to find that funny, though, grinning at the purple-haired angel. "What? It's true."

Rei smiled shyly, quickly directing his gaze towards the table. "Well, I'm glad you like it," he mumbled happily, smiling a bit.

During the rest of their dinner, the six angels and two half-angels were just chatting about random subjects, not mentioning their new assignment at all. It did do good to the mood, though, since it would only create gloomy conversations. When the main dish was finished, Shin went to clean the plates and pans, while Rei made a chocolate sauce and chopped up some bananas to put over the ice cream. By now, he felt tired enough to just sit down and fall asleep, but the surprised faces of his friends when he went back to the dining-room carrying the deserts, were enough to make in worth the effort.

"Looks nice," Goh complimented him, making Rei smile and blush again. It also tasted more than nice, he had to admit that himself, when they all started eating. The cold ice and the hot chocolate were great together, and the banana pieced were just enough to make it a whole. Even Kira hadn't nagged about anything during dinner, which to Rei also proved that his cooking had been truly good.

"Shall I clean everything up?" Ruka offered, when everyone was done eating and talking. "You and Shin have worked hard enough."

"Thanks," Rei accepted with a grateful smile, after which Yuda also offered to help. Both Rei and Shin looked at each other with a grin. "Nice to have a boyfriend around, isn't it?"

"Definitely," the blue-haired angel grinned back. "And they're pretty nice to look at too."

Yuda and Ruka went on doing the dishes, like they didn't notice that they were being the subject of conversation, but Rei saw Ruka's somewhat amused smile when he turned around to put some pans into a cabinet. Letting out a deep sigh, Rei leaned his head onto the table, enjoying it to be watching his beloved one. Even as the silver-haired angel was only drying pans and plates and such, his movements were still smooth and somewhat charming. And besides, Rei loved watching his beloved one doing such everyday chores, since it made him feel at home and almost 'normal'. Like how it was when they didn't have dangerous jobs to do, just everyday life.

True, the everyday life could get boring easily. But considering how much adventure, danger and plain pain they'd had gone through the past months, and what they'd have to face starting tomorrow, these normal everyday moments were truly getting rare. Which made that Rei wanted to cherish every single moment that there was barely any stress, that they weren't traveling, fighting or anything like that. And considering the faint smile on Shin's lips as he watched Yuda, Rei wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"All done," Yuda announced with a sigh. "So, any other plans?"

"No. Do you have any?" Shin asked.

"Well, we could take a walk." Looking through the window, the red-haired angel added; "It's nearly sunset, that should give a great view from the flower field." Then, he looked at Rei and Ruka. "Will you be coming along?"

"Sure," Rei agreed enthusiastically. It'd be almost like a double-date. "But shouldn't we ask the rest too?"

"They all went to watch television," Ruka replied. "Besides, do you really think they would like to watch us kiss?"

"Well, I surely wouldn't want Kira to see," the purple-haired angel admitted on a low volume.

After informing their friends about where they were heading, the four of them went outside. The air was colder than Rei had thought, and quickly he pulled his coat on tighter, shivering a bit. Still, the reddened sky was beautiful, as was the feeling of walking underneath it with Ruka next to him, the other angel's arm wrapped around his shoulders. Honestly, it made him forget the cold temperatures immediately. "Mmh," he sighed, leaning against his angel a bit, wrapping his arm around Ruka's slender waist. The sun stood low enough now to nearly blind them, and Rei closed his eyes for a moment, trusting on his beloved one to not let him trip.

"Rei?" Ruka asked somewhat worriedly.

"The sun's so bright," Rei explained quietly, softly giving his beloved a kiss on his cheek, his eyes still closed. Ruka silently kissed him back, and pulled him a bit closer. "Careful," Rei warned with a chuckle, nearly tripping.

"Sorry. And we're almost there," Ruka responded, causing Rei to open his eyes. And he chuckled again when he saw Shin and Yuda walking in front of them, holding each other's hand tightly, but seemingly too shy to get any closer. Well, they'd ease up someday, that was for sure. After all, the purple-haired angel remembered vividly how shy he used to get when Ruka would do as much as smile at him.

Letting out a sigh, he let his memories drift for a moment. Those moments, that slight fear, hadn't been so bad, really. Sure, he was happy now that they officially were a couple, but it had been somewhat adventurous in the time when he still was trying so hard to figure out his own feelings, and more importantly, figure out how Ruka felt about him. And he treasured the memory of that feeling, because it still made him feel incredibly glad and grateful for the relationship they had now.

"Rei? Shall we sit down here?" Ruka's voice startled him from his thoughts. A bit surprised, the smaller angel looked around to realize they were already on the field, the wild flowers glowing like gold in the setting sun. Shin and Yuda had already sat down, and Ruka gently helped Rei to sit down too before sitting down himself and taking the smaller angel into his arms and half onto his lap. "Are you cold?"

"No," was all Rei managed to mumble, staring at his beloved one. Ruka's silvery hair was covered with a bright golden shine, his light toned skin looking slightly more tanned in this light. But his eyes were what really caught Rei's attention. Those beautiful crimson eyes seemed even deeper now, their color almost like liquid and reminding Rei of blood. Not in a bad way, not at all. Ruka just looked… angelic wasn't the right word, since they all were angels. No, he looked even more unearthly and magical than that, and all Rei dared to do was watch him, almost scared that his beloved one would look away, or the sun would somehow disappear too soon, and end this view.

"R-Rei?" The silver-haired angel blushed a bit, which made him look even more amazing. "Eh, do I look weird or something?"

"Not at all," the smaller angel sighed. "You just… You look the best in this kind of light." Knowing he'd only make Ruka feel uncomfortable if he'd keep staring at him like this, Rei settled in slowly kissing him. Still, not wanting to lose sight of those crimson eyes yet, he didn't close his eyes like he usually would. His beloved, apparently surprised, but probably knowing Rei wanted it like this, didn't close his eyes either. "Mmh…" Taking a deep breath, Rei pulled back eventually. "Sometimes I still can't believe you're mine." Realizing what he was saying, he felt his cheeks heating up. "N-not like I own you, I just mean…"

"I understand," Ruka chuckled. "We're each other's property, and honestly, I'd do anything you want me to."

"And…" Without averting his gaze from Ruka's eyes, Rei rested his head against his beloved one's shoulder. "… you never regret that?" He already knew the answer, but he just wanted to hear it out loud.

"I never have and never will. I know you'll never make me regret that," the taller angel responded with a soft smile. "No matter what happens."

That one line was enough to change the mood a bit, unintentionally reminding them both at the new assignment, and finally Rei averted his gaze, turning his head a bit to look at the nearly disappeared sun. He felt his beloved one tensing up a bit, and soothingly caressed Ruka's knee, which in this position was closest to his hand. It hadn't been the taller angel's intention to remind him of that fact, he knew that. It didn't mean that he'd be able to push the though aside that easily, though, not now that he was already worrying about it.

How Ruka had broken down in Rei's room, when they had gotten back from Heaven, had actually worried Rei even more than the case itself. Ruka never had acted like he was invincible, like he couldn't be broken, but it wasn't exactly a regular thing for him to cry either. Let alone to just mentally collapse like that. What had scared Rei most, was the fact that the silver-haired angel hadn't cried at all, he'd only laid there trembling. After they'd gone through Hell, on their way to get that gemstone on their past quest, Ruka had broken down too after suffering his undoubtedly horrible memories. But at least then he had been crying, making him somehow more reachable than when he was in that terrified shock-like state which he had been in this afternoon. Luckily, it hadn't lasted long, though Rei did feel guilty for falling asleep before his beloved one had completely calmed down.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said it like that," Ruka mumbled guiltily.

"Eh?" Quickly, Rei forced himself to smile. "It's fine, let's just not think about it anymore until tomorrow."

Ruka only nodded, hugging his beloved one tightly. The purple-haired angel let out a deep sigh, and snuggled closely against him.

"Ah, look!" Shin said softly, not wanting to disturb Rei and Ruka's moment. "Stars."

Yuda followed his gaze, and indeed, there right above them were the first visible stars of that night. "The sky is clear, so we should be able to see more of those soon," he remarked, just as quietly as Shin had. The blue-haired angel now glanced at him for a moment, hoping that Yuda wouldn't notice now that he was distracted. Would the taller angel be embarrassed if Shin would kiss him now, with other people around? Well, Rei and Ruka were their friends, but still. Suddenly, though, his beloved one returned his look. "Shin?"

"Eh…" Feeling his cheeks heating up, the smaller angel averted his gaze towards the sky again. But that wouldn't get them any further, he realized, and instead just decided to do as he wanted. Pressing his lips against Yuda's, he felt his beloved one tensing up for a mere moment, but then relaxing, kissing back gently. It didn't last long, a cold wind making Shin shiver, but it was a good kiss.

"It's getting more chilly now that the sun is gone." With only that as explanation, Yuda copied Ruka and pulled his beloved one onto his lap. In surprise, Shin almost lost his balance, and quickly wrapped his arms around Yuda's strong shoulders. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," the other angel mumbled shyly.

"I don't mind being startled in this way," Shin replied with a smile, moving a bit to get comfortable. He felt the warmth of his angel's body when Yuda embraced him, and leaned into it gratefully. "Mmh…" His body relaxing more and more, he felt his eyelids growing heavy. Feeling Yuda breathing steadily didn't do too much to keep him alert either. Faintly, he noticed more and more stars covering the darkening sky, before his eyes slid shut. What time was it now? Probably pretty late already, he thought sleepily.

With a soft smile, Yuda started caressing Shin's hair. The blue-haired angel lied in his arms unmoving, breathing slowly and deep. Not being sure if his angel was still awake or not, Yuda decided to just keep quiet, not to startle him awake if he were sleeping. Shin didn't respond to his touch at all, only sighed after some time and moved his head a bit, without opening his eyes. He looked amazing and calming at the same time, at least in Yuda's opinion.

That smooth porcelain skin, those long eyelashes, and of course that silky blue hair. Even his quite simple black angel-robe only made him look more frail and beautiful. Still, to Yuda, it wasn't Shin's appearance that made him love the smaller angel so much. No, rather it was the quiet, gentle soul underneath. The way he could make people take him seriously, without even raising his voice, how he always thought of and cared for others first, before considering himself. And most of all, the way he always made Yuda feel safe and loved.

It was getting truly cold outside now, and Rei couldn't suppress a faint shiver. Ruka's body warmed him, but still he wasn't completely comfortable anymore. The fever finally was completely gone, it'd be bad if it'd return just before they'd have to start on their assignment. "Ruka?" he asked softly, looking up at his beloved one. "Shall we go back?"

"Are you cold?" Ruka immediately asked worriedly, helping him to get up onto his feet. "I could carry you, if that would help…"

"I'm perfectly able to walk myself," Rei interrupted him.

"Sorry," the silver-haired angel grinned, wrapping an arm around his angel's slender shoulders. That, Rei didn't mind at all, and he gratefully leaned against the taller angel. "Yuda? Are you and Shin coming too?"

"Yeah." The blue-haired angel still laid asleep on Yuda's lap. "I think I'll just let him sleep, though." Carefully, he took his angel into his arms and stood up. Shin let out a sigh and stirred a bit, but didn't wake up, so they walked back to the house in silence.

Still, even though they didn't speak, Rei felt how tightly and yet almost scarily careful Ruka was holding him close. The assignment wouldn't be started on until tomorrow, but he had a feeling that tonight wouldn't be too easy either. Letting out a sigh, he started caressing Ruka's back while they walked. Hopefully he'd be able to comfort his beloved one enough to let him sleep calmly.

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**So… the next chapter will reveal more of the storyline ;) **

**I'll update in a week^^**


	8. Night by night

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Warning: slight case of self-harming. Ruka's mind isn't giving him a break…**

* * *

By the time they got back home, their friends apparently had already gone to bed. The whole house was dark and silent, except for the small lamp in the hallway. It had been thoughtfully left on, so at least they could walk in without bumping into walls and such. In silence, not to disturb anyone asleep, they walked up the stairs and through the hallway, stopping at the door to Shin's room, which was first in row.

"Have a good rest," Shin greeted.

"You too," Rei replied, before he and Ruka walked on to his own room. While on their way back, the silver-haired angel had became increasingly more silent, and the closer they got to home, the more tense he seemed to get. Rei honestly hoped it was just tiredness, otherwise this would be a long night. Even now they were alone in Rei's room, the taller angel didn't say a word, he just quietly redressed into his nightclothes when Rei started doing the same thing, neither of them bothering to turn on the lights.

"Ruka?" he finally asked, sitting down on his side of the bed. "Are you all right?" His muscles felt somewhat sore as an aftereffect from the fever, and he slowly moved to lean his back against the wall. His beloved only nodded, but didn't get into bed either. Instead, he sat down next to the purple-haired angel, resting his head on Rei's shoulder. That alone, was enough to tell the smaller angel that his beloved one wasn't all right at all. "Please tell me what's wrong. I might be able to help."

"Just… memories." Letting out a somewhat shaky sigh, Ruka shook his head. "It's nothing important, I'll be fine."

"None of us are happy about having to travel to the inner circles of Hell, but you and Yuda have actually been trapped there before. It's only logical if those memories will come into your mind now, since you'll see that place again." Gently, Rei wrapped his arms around his beloved one. "Don't try to be strong to protect me, if you're the one who needs it. I can only try to help if you'll let me."

"Sorry." It was barely more than a whisper. "I just don't want to cause you stress."

"Ruka!" Finally losing his calm, Rei grabbed his beloved one's shoulders, forcing the other angel to look at him. "I'm not some kind of fragile glass doll! I'm a Saint Beast, and perfectly able to handle stress. I'm stronger than you think I am, and it truly hurts that you seem to think of me as weak enough to have to be protected all the time. You are having a problem right now, you are scared. So let me take care of you now, and stop making me the one who needs protection!"

Trying to catch his breath after that outburst, he stared at Ruka. His beloved one just stared back for a long moment, his crimson eyes wide and shocked. Then suddenly, he averted his gaze and stiffened a bit. Quickly, Rei let go of him, immediately worried that he'd been too harsh. But before he'd even gotten the chance to apologize, the silver-haired angel finally spoke. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I know you're not weak." Trembling slightly, he grabbed Rei's hand, still not looking at him. "It's just… You're strong, but you're not invincible. And…" Something that sounded like a soft sob escaped him, making Rei tighten his grip on the taller angel's hand.

"R-Ruka?" Unsure if he should hug his beloved one, Rei caressed Ruka's hair with his free hand. The silver-haired angel didn't move towards the gentle touch, but didn't pull away either.

"Rei, you're much stronger than me! When… when Yuda and me got banished to Hell…" A faint shiver went through him, but he didn't stop talking. "While you managed to fight on, to keep on living… I couldn't. I had to bury all memory of you, not to go insane. You were able to bear with it, while I couldn't." Finally, Ruka lifted his head, the terrified, hurt look in his eyes almost breaking Rei's heart. "I need you so much more than you'll ever know. I'm not so overly protective of you because I think of you as weak. I know you aren't. But… I wouldn't last a minute without you, not again!"

Almost frozenly, the purple-haired angel looked at him, his hand still touching Ruka's soft hair. Then, with a faint cry, he dove forward and wrapped his arms around his beloved one, pulling his closely against his chest. Of all the things he had expected Ruka to say, it wasn't like this was the first time this subject came up, this hadn't been one of them. "Ruka, you and Yuda were alone, and equally devastated! Shin and me still had Goh and Gai to get us through the worst shock of what happened." He felt his beloved one curling up on his lap, still trembling all over his body. "I just… I just don't want you to feel like you have to protect me all of the time. I won't leave you, ever!"

"But having to go back there… I can't get those memories out of my head, and I'm so scared that I'll go too far in trying to protect you. That I'll only manage to drive you away from me, instead of keeping you close by."

Letting out a slightly shaky breath, Rei leaned over Ruka protectively. "I'll always keep close. Especially once we'll go in there, I won't leave your side. Those memories won't take you over, not as long as I can fight them off for you." He had no idea how to fight off memories for someone else, but for his beloved one he'd try anything. And even if they both knew it wasn't a solid promise, he could feel how Ruka's body slowly stopped trembling. Finally, after minutes in which Rei held him tightly, he finally relaxed completely.

"Thanks." It was only a hoarse whisper, and after clearing his throat, Ruka added; "G-guess this is why I can't live without you. You're the only one who has ever seen me like this, and I don't even feel embarrassed about it."

"That's because no one can ever possibly love you more than I do," the smaller angel told him softly, with a faint smile.

"I love you too. More than anything," Ruka replied even softer.

"Yeah, you got that point through already." To his relieve, the silver-haired angel chuckled almost inaudibly at that. "Let's go to sleep now, okay?"

"Okay. Can I stay in your arms for a while longer, though?"

"You know the answer." Gently, Rei forced Ruka to lay down first before laying down himself, and then pulled up the covers over both of them. Even though the silver-haired angel had asked to be held, he barely responded when Rei placed his arms around the other's body again. His eyes were already closed, and he only let out a sigh when Rei gave him a kiss onto his lips. "Sleep well," the purple-haired angel whispered, even though he knew that his beloved one had already drifted off. Warm and comfortable against the taller angel's body, it didn't take long until his exhaustion won over his worries, and he also fell asleep.

Halfway through the night, he was woken up roughly by a kick against his leg, and he let out a soft whine. "Ouch… Ruka?" he whispered then, slowly opening his eyes. The room was blurry before his tired eyes, and even darker now than it had been earlier. Still, he could see his beloved one moving around restlessly, apparently dreaming. "Calm down." Tenderly, he started caressing the other angel's cheek and throat, hoping that a gentle touch at that vulnerable area would somehow be comforting.

"Nng…" Ruka suddenly whimpered softly, turning onto his side to move away from the touch. In a reflex, Rei moved towards him and grabbed his arm, realizing with a shock how close Ruka was to the edge of the bed. What he hadn't counted on, was the silver-haired angel immediately moving away again, falling off the bed and pulling Rei along.

Letting out a short cry, the purple-haired angel felt himself falling after his beloved one, landing on top of him with a soft thud. "Ruka!" The taller angel only mumbled something incoherent, and then slept on quietly, apparently calmed by the feeling of a warm body against his own. "Geez," Rei sighed inaudibly, pulling the bed-sheets off the bed, and over their bodies. Waking up Ruka would be the only way to get him back in bed, and there was no guarantee that he'd fall asleep again once he had woken up. So the smaller angel decided to just settle into sleeping on the floor for the rest of the night. Or actually, his beloved one sleeping on the floor. Rei felt comfortable enough as they were now, and Ruka didn't seem to mind either, so he had no intention of moving off his angel. Besides, the taller angel's body was a lot softer than the floor.

"Mmh…" Ruka groaned softly as he woke up that morning, his body feeling somewhat sore. And since when was the bed so hard? And the blankets so heavy… "Oh. Oops," he mumbled, finally opening his eyes and discovering that they were lying on the floor. Yes, that explained a lot. "Rei?" Carefully, he let the smaller angel slide down onto the floor, so he could sit up. Well, at least his beloved one didn't seem hurt or anything. "Rei, wake up!" Gently, he shook at Rei's shoulders.

"What?" the purple-haired angel groaned, reluctantly opening his eyes. "Oh, you're awake. Eh… I couldn't think of a way to get you back into bed without waking you, and you had dragged me down with you anyway. So…" He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry if you got cold or anything."

At the look on his beloved one's face, Ruka couldn't help but to chuckle. "I'm okay, just a bit sore from laying on the hard floor for hours."

"You had a nightmare, I think. At least, you fell because you were moving around in your sleep. And you tried to get away when I touched you." There was a faint hint of hurt in the smaller angel's voice.

"If I indeed was having a nightmare, I probably thought my mind was playing mean tricks on me. That happened a lot, when…" He couldn't bring himself to speak of that subject again, but he knew Rei understood when the smaller angel took his hand and squeezed it softly. "I'd never consciously try to get away from your touch. On the contrary, even." That last part came out with a faint smile, which Rei responded to immediately. Having the confirmation that everything was all right, Ruka leaned over and kissed his beautiful angel slowly.

"Mmh…" The purple-haired angel deepened the kiss after only a moment, apparently treasuring the feeling of being so intimate. Well, considering the fact that this probably was one of the last moments they'd have together for the next few days, maybe weeks, they should treasure it. Even if they'd be relatively safe enough there to relax for a moment, neither of them felt too enthusiastic about kissing like this, while their friends were watching. "Great way of saying 'good morning'," Rei sighed contently, when he finally pulled away to breath.

"Yeah, but next time I'd rather wake up on a bed," Ruka grinned. "My bones would definitely appreciate that."

"Well, then you and your bones shouldn't have let both of us fall off the bed in the first place," the smaller angel grinned back, playfully pulling at Ruka's hair. The silver-haired angel quickly grabbed a strand of Rei's hair and pulled back, making the smaller angel nearly fall against him, and then captured Rei's lips in another kiss. This one didn't last too long, though, as someone suddenly knocked on the door. "Yes?" Rei asked.

"Are you awake already?" Shin's soft voice. "Yuda has already made breakfast, so if all of us go eat now, we can start doing research after that."

"Okay, Ruka and I were already awake, we'll be there in a few minutes," Rei replied, and they heard Shin walking away then.

"Let's hurry," Ruka said, standing up. "The sooner we're done doing research, the sooner we can start on the hard part." Rei was already standing up, but the silver-haired angel took his hand to assist anyway. Catching the look Rei gave him, he smiled softly. "Yes, I know you can stand up on your own. But I like being a good boyfriend."

"You're a good boyfriend because you love me, not because you insist on holding my hand while I stand up," Rei remarked with a soft chuckle, earning yet another soft kiss from his beloved one.

After a short breakfast, all six Saint Beasts went to the library, while Maya and Kira went to town. Rei had no idea what they were going to do there, but at least they'd be out of the house, unable to hear any conversation. The two half-angels wouldn't be able to do any more than to wait and hope, so it'd be unnecessary if they'd hear more details of what the other six would encounter in Hell. It would only make them more worried.

"So, will you and Rei look up the road and check for possible dangers?" Yuda suggested, looking at Shin. "Then Ruka and me can search for spells, while Gai and Goh search for books, just like last time."

No one objected against that, so after gathering some paper and pens, Rei and Shin sat down together, Ruka and Yuda sitting down at the next the table. Within minutes, Goh and Gai had found some books, and they all could get to work. Unlike last time, Rei and Shin were now looking together in the same book, making sure no detail got missed. Last journey had been through places were certain dangers were possible. This time, it'd all be dangerous, and all they could do was trying to find the relatively safest route. That was going to be a hard task, though, Rei knew that the moment he read the first page.

It was full of words like 'impossible', 'gruesome' and 'death'. Especially that second word came around a lot, as did its synonyms. "Sounds nice," Rei sighed sarcastically.

"It's Hell," Shin simply said. Indeed, that alone was already enough of an explanation. It was Hell, so it was supposed to be the most horrible place for both body and mind. Still, reading it as a fact didn't do too much to make Rei feel more secure. Rather, the more they read, the more scared he felt.

"No matter what we do, there's no way to avoid getting in touch with demons," he said softly, so he wouldn't disturb Ruka and Yuda's research.

"Indeed." The blue-haired angel sounded just as worried about that fact as Rei felt. "There's no way to avoid being seen, but if we get attacked by all demons in Hell at once, we won't stand a chance to even survive."

"Can't we get semi-invisible or something?"

"That's for Yuda and Ruka to find out. We should look for a way that has the littlest chance of encountering demons." A somewhat hopeless sigh. "Which means we have to travel through places, where even demons don't want to be. That can never be a good sign."

"But still, it gives us better chances than a fight of the six of us against thousands of demons would."

"That's undoubtedly true. But…" Shin looked at their beloved ones briefly, both of them were concentrated on books. "We'll have to go through parts where normally only banished angels get sent to. There's a chance that we'll even have to go through the exact same place were Yuda and Ruka were captured. I don't know how bad their mental trauma is, but… it will definitely be hard on them. Really hard."

"They'll have us. Whatever happens, we'll be there to help them through it." He just hoped that going back to there, wouldn't make the trauma any worse, for both Ruka and Yuda. Thos time they wouldn't be captured there, and they'd all be together, but the memories that would surely come back when seeing that place again might be almost as bad. What if Ruka would have nightmares for days after that? What if Rei's love wouldn't be enough to comfort him? It just had to be, Rei decided, not allowing himself any further onto this trail of depressing thoughts.

"We'll plan it in such a way, that we'll travel thought that specific place as quickly as possible," Shin said. "Whatever may occur, we won't have to take a break there, so we won't be there any longer than absolutely necessary."

"Sounds like a good idea," Rei agreed, leaning over the book again. Well, at least they now had a small bit of their journey planned. Now there was only the other ninety percent left.

When it was finally becoming time for dinner, Rei's legs could barely hold him at fist. No wonder, he had been sitting in the same position for hours. "Rei, can I help you this time?" Ruka asked, looking up when he noticed Rei standing. The purple-haired angel only nodded, his legs slowly returning to their normal feeling. "What were you planning on making?"

Now that was a good question. "I have absolutely no idea. But since we skipped lunch, it has to be something nutritious." The 'skipped lunch' part, he realized now, could be another reason why his legs felt slightly wobbly. Sure, he never was a big eater. But he was used to having three meals per day, and his body apparently didn't allow him to lessen that number so easily. A bit unsteadily, he started walking, almost tripping before he even made it to the door.

"Rei, are you okay?" Ruka asked worriedly, after gently steadying his beloved one.

"Yes, I'm just really hungry." Rei smiled sheepishly. "I guess besides nutritious, dinner should also be fast to make, this evening."

The silver-haired angel smiled back softly. "Well, I'm all at your service, so just tell me how to help."

"For starters, you could help me think of a good thing to make," the smaller angel chuckled. "Maybe hamburgers?"

"Do we have enough meat?"

"Yes, I saw that when me and Shin made dinner yesterday. We also have enough bread-rolls and salad, and we could also add eggs, tomato and cucumber. Am I forgetting something?"

"Eh…" Just when they walked into the kitchen, Ruka remembered. "Some sauce, maybe? Mayonnaise?"

"Yeah, and ketchup." Rei looked at him, grinning happily. "You really are handy to have around, sometimes."

"Sometimes?" his angel repeated, raising an eyebrow. "So you mean that I'm useless most of the time?" It earned him a smack against his upper arm, and he couldn't help but to chuckle. "Sorry, I just had to ask."

"You're not useless, and please don't make such jokes after you had a breakdown twice in the past days." Rei looked at him, his face completely serious. "It makes me worry, even if there's no reason to."

"I'm sorry," Ruka repeated himself, and this time he meant it. "I said it without thinking, and I really didn't mean anything by it. I promise."

"Okay then." That seemed to have solved that issue, as Rei started gathering ingredients and tools to make dinner. "Can you chop up some unions? We'll need those too. The tomatoes and cucumber have to get sliced, not too thin, and the bread has to be cut in two pieced so we can put all the stuff in it. I'll do the cooking and baking, but I have to get some eggs first, so I'll go find the chickens." There were some chickens, all females, who often walked around in their backyard, probably driven there by Rei's presence. Since they could always be sure that those eggs were unfertilized anyway, that made it easy to get fresh eggs. "I'll be right back."

"All right," Ruka nodded, searching the cabinets to find something to cut the vegetables and bread on.

"The cutting-board is in the most left cabinet!" he heard Rei yell at him, already at the back door. "Try not to cut yourself!"

What was he, a child? Still, he was careful when he started chopping up the onion, knowing Rei would be concerned if he'd get even the smallest scratch now. It truly was a good thing that he'd never told the purple-haired angel absolutely everything that he'd done, that horrible first few weeks in Hell. If his beloved one would know he had been having a habit of purposely cutting himself during that time, he'd never let Ruka anywhere near sharp objects, not after having the taller angel trembling and close to tears two times in a row.

Still, he realized, it didn't make him feel embarrassed or even awkward at all, knowing Rei had seen him at his weakest. Somehow, after all that they'd been through, they were far past the point of worrying what the other might think about their actions. They were a couple, together no matter what. Things like showing weakness or unrequited annoyance were just not an issue anymore. They were there at times, sure, but they didn't even need to talk it over anymore. Between them it was all right, simply because they accepted each other fully, with no reservations.

"Ruka?" Rei walked back into the kitchen, holding four eggs. "Your fingers are still complete?"

"I am able of handling a knife, thanks for your trust," the taller angel responded dryly.

"Sorry, I just don't want you to get yourself hurt while helping me."

"I don't want to cause you more stress by helping," Ruka replied. "Go do your job, I'll do mine. I can promise you, we'll both survive it without slashed skin or burnings."

Finally, Rei laughed, even if it was only softly. "I never get a burn."

"You can't have been born as an expert at cooking, right?"

"Well…" The purple-haired angel smiled. "I have to admit, I did accidentally drop a pan with boiling water over myself as a child." He remembered vividly how much it had hurt, even days after the incident, and how worried Shin had been. Ruka, though, couldn't suppress a chuckle, and Rei gave him a fake glare. "It did hurt, you know? It was supposed to be used for cooking vegetables, not for cooking myself!"

"I'm sure you'd have tasted just fine," Ruka grinned, watching as Rei carelessly put a pan with water onto the stove without watching, his long hair nearly ending up in it. "Your hair, on the other hand…"

"Ah!" Quickly, Rei pulled the endangered strand of hair over his shoulder, quickly braiding it with the rest of his hair, using a piece of fabric to tie it. "Well, at least now the water wasn't cooking yet," he grinned sheepishly. "Geez, it's been long since I last made such a blunder."

"It wasn't a blunder, I was distracting you."

"You only have to walk into a room to do so," Rei said softly, suddenly giving him a kiss onto his cheek before returning to work. Ruka knew that was mainly meant as a sign that Rei was done fooling around, but still he couldn't get the smile of his face the entire time it took them to prepare dinner.

Much later, getting ready for bed back in Rei's room, he subject of their assignment came up again. Rei had already turned off the lights, and they were lying down in bed, the darkness in the room making it easier for even darker memories to rise again. "Rei?" he said softly, not wanting to worry his angel, but knowing he needed comfort right now.

"Mmh?" his beloved one responded, tenderly wrapping his arms around the taller angel and relaxing against him.

Ruka could feel him breathing, and the soothing warmth of Rei's body against his own. "Never mind, you already did it," he whispered sleepily, returning Rei's embrace and pulling him even closer before relaxing too. "Goodnight."

"Mmh… Sleep well." It was barely more than a sigh, and Rei sounded just as tired as Ruka felt. Within minutes, they both were fast asleep, neither of them knowing or caring about which one of them had drifted off first.

Somewhere in the middle of the night, though, Ruka suddenly woke up gasping for air. Sitting up alarmed, he looked around but his vision was blocked by sweaty strands of his own silvery hair. What had he dreamt about? Somehow, the fact that he couldn't remember more than sheer terror and pain only made it worse. The fact that he had no clear view of whatever he was so terrified of, nearly made him scream in fear when something moved against him. With a huge amount of self-control, he managed to keep it down to a faint, rather pathetic sounding whimper.

"Damn…" he hissed, clenching his eyes shut when he realized that the thing moving had been Rei, who was still sleeping quietly at his side. It had only made matters worse if he'd have woken the smaller angel too, especially right now. He was drenched in cold sweat, his breathing went quick and irregular and his heart was pounding heavily. No way that the purple-haired angel would have gotten back to sleep tonight, not after seeing him like this. And that would have made Ruka feel even worse, knowing that the fear of an unremembered nightmare had prevented his beloved one from getting enough sleep. He'd rather suffer alone than to pull Rei down with him.

Still, he knew it'd definitely wake his angel if this trembling wouldn't stop. Already, Rei stirred more than usual, unsettled by the tense air surrounding Ruka. "Mmh… don't…" The silver-haired angel unconsciously held in his breath when Rei mumbled incoherently. "Ruka… N-ngg…" That beautiful, pale face clearly showed stress now, and Ruka carefully got out of bed, not wanting to disturb his angel any more.

For a moment, his legs felt wobbly, and he stood still for a moment, trying desperately to calm his breathing. Damn, how could a nightmare have had this effect on him? While he couldn't even remember it. Finally, he managed to calm down enough to steady himself, and slowly walked around the bed and to the large window. Sitting down on the window-frame, he looked back at the bed for a moment. The moon lit it up just enough to see that the slender form lying in it, had stopped stirring. Rei seemed to be sleeping peacefully again, and Ruka actually felt a bit better because of it, even though it hurt to know that it had been his presence which had troubled the smaller angel in the first place.

"Rei… I'd wish I could forget what happened, or at least parts of it. Then I might not be such a burden to you, every time our job requires us to go 'there'." It hadn't been more than an inaudible, somewhat chocked whisper, and the purple-haired angel didn't respond to it at all. Well, he supposed that was a good thing.

Taking a shuddering breath he turned his gaze to the window, looking at the full moon over the forest. It was ironic, really, how much the moon resembled him. A dark, useless being, invisible when it was left on his own. Rei was the one who lit him up, made him shine too. The thing he couldn't exist without, just like the moon would be unnoticed and useless as long as it wasn't shined upon by the sun. The only difference was, that the sun shined bright anyway, not losing a bit of its strength by lending his brightness to the moon. Rei did suffer for Ruka, always carrying the burden of helping his beloved one get through the many dark places in his mind. Especially since his and Yuda's return to the other Saint Beasts.

If he'd only have the strength to get past the horrors of memories still lingering in his mind, then he wouldn't be the cause of so much stress for his beloved one. But he wasn't strong enough, he needed Rei so much, and he was so terrified of ending up putting too much pressure on the smaller angel, finally breaking him. He knew Rei loved him, and needed him almost as much as Ruka needed him. But was the purple-haired angel truly better off with him? To his guilt, he had to admit he was. After all this time, leaving Rei wouldn't safe the purple-haired angel at all. Rather, it'd destroy him instantly, once he'd realize Ruka wouldn't come back. Therefore, the only thing Ruka felt he could do, was try his hardest to fight off his memories, or at least don't let his pain show too often.

"I love you so much," he whispered at his sleeping angel, not even looking behind at him but keeping his gaze fixated at the moon. The sudden pang of loneliness made him gasp softly. "I guess that's my biggest crime. Either that, or allowing you to love me." Rei whimpered softly in his sleep, as if responding to that softly spoken revelation, and Ruka felt himself shivering from mental agony. Why? Why hadn't he acknowledged the darkness in his soul earlier? Before he had gotten into that war against Zeus? Or better, before meeting Rei?

The trembling got worse, and he suddenly tore his look away from the window, running from the quiet room as fast but soundlessly as he could. Why? Why wasn't he stronger? Why couldn't he fight himself? Why? Running into the bathroom, kicking the door shut behind himself, he glared at himself in the mirror. Why was he such a pathetic idiot? He couldn't stand looking at himself any longer, smashing the mirror with his fist. It cracked into a thousand pieces, showering him with glittery glass-fragments.

Even that outburst of rage didn't make him feel any better. Worse even, he suddenly heard a door opening, further down the hall. Immediately, his heart-rate sped up, terrified of the mental image of Rei finding him like this. No, he couldn't worry his angel even more! The door opened behind him, and he couldn't even force himself to look behind. Please, don't let it be Rei. Whoever else, he could live with. But not Rei.

"Ruka!" Goh's voice, sounding both startled and worried. Still, it was better than making Rei worry over him again. Suddenly, as some tension left him, his knees just collapsed underneath him and he nearly dropped down onto the floor. Just before he landed into the splintered glass, he felt Goh catching him, dragging him to the hallway to let him sit down safely. "Ruka, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing!" It came out as a whimper, and he stared at the floor, too embarrassed to face the brunette angel.

"You're trembling all over your body! And you're bleeding." Almost gently, Goh grabbed Ruka's left wrist. It wasn't until now that the silver-haired angel realized he had a large wound on the back of his hand, from slamming the mirror. It didn't even hurt, he just stared blankly at the flowing blood. "Where's Rei?"

Immediately, he panicked. "Don't tell him! I can't let him worry more!" He heard his own voice trembling. "Please! I… I can't do that to him."

"Ruka… he'll be more hurt if he finds out by himself," Goh warned him.

"I know. I'll tell him… but not now. Not while I'm like this." Still shivering, he closed his eyes, hoping the lightheadedness would disappear soon. 'Rei…' He heard Goh say something, but his mind was too cloudy to figure out what. Then, suddenly, all awareness faded out, and he slumped limply onto the floor.

* * *

**Gotta admit, I feel a bit guilty about doing that to Ruka… but let's hope Rei can help him to fight through it ;)**

**I'll update soon, hopefully with a chapter of about the same size^^**


	9. Talk to me

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

Slowly, feeling returned to his body. Even though he felt exhausted, his hand didn't feel stiff or painful. Yuda must have healed it. Which meant it had been bad enough to need healing. Meaning Goh had warned Yuda, which must have woken Shin. His breath caught a little from shock, when he realized that this meant that Rei probably knew now too. Even though it had been the one thing he had never ever wanted his angel to know. No… he couldn't have worried his angel, not again!

"Ruka?" That soft voice was trembling slightly, a warm hand gently squeezing his. "Ruka, please say something!" Tears. Tears were audible in that voice, and Ruka felt his own throat tightening at that thought.

Reluctantly, Ruka opened his eyes. The room around him was dark, but he recognized it as Rei's. And next to him on the edge of the bed sat his angel, looking at him worriedly. "Rei… I'm sorry," he mumbled guiltily.

"Don't be. Goh said you must've tripped and accidentally hit the mirror." Rei's voice was still tense from worry. "You were bleeding quite badly, so you're lucky Goh heard you and went to get Yuda."

What? So… 'So Goh didn't tell Rei that it hadn't been an accident. And Yuda didn't tell anyone about what we used to do when we were trapped,' he thought gratefully. He still should confess it to Rei someday, but preferably not in such a manner as this. "I didn't mean to worry you," he said softly. "I just… I needed to get away from the darkness for a moment, so I went to the bathroom so I could turn on the light without bothering anyone." That part wasn't even completely lied. "I should have been more careful."

"Ruka… Next time, you wake me and just turn on the lights here, understood?"

"Yeah," he mumbled tiredly, unable to look his beloved one in the eyes any longer. He usually didn't like lying, but lying to Rei felt even worse. "Could…" He didn't finish that question, feeling like he didn't have any right at all to ask anything from his beloved one, not after what he'd subconsciously done. Luckily, Rei understood and silently, laid down in bed with him, wrapping his arms around the taller angel. "Rei… I really love you."

"I love you too." A soft kiss. "You know I'll always will."

Yes, he did know. Even though right now, he truly felt like he didn't at all deserve such unconditional love.

Despite his depressed thoughts, the rest of the night he slept peacefully. At breakfast, no one spoke about what happened. Shin and Gai didn't seem to know, so Yuda and Goh had both been discrete and silent during the night. Goh only looked at him worriedly once, when Ruka and Rei walked into the room, but then went on acting normally. Only Yuda seemed to completely ignore him, practically glaring at the table throughout breakfast. Well, that was to be expected, since the red-haired angel was the only one who knew the full story. The one he had promised to never do such a thing again after they had escaped from Hell. Therefore, Yuda had probably been even more worried than Rei, who was still under the assumption that it had been completely an accident.

And as he had suspected, but hadn't exactly been looking forward too, Yuda asked him silently to come talk for a moment. He didn't miss the faint glare his friend gave him, and reluctantly followed. "It wasn't by accident, right?" Yuda said, when they stood alone in the backyard. He didn't look at Ruka, instead he just stared at the ground.

"It… it wasn't like back in H-Hell. I didn't really mean to hurt myself, I just… I couldn't stand…" He hadn't been able to stand looking at himself, and therefore had smashed the mirror. But telling Yuda that probably wouldn't do too much good. "I didn't even realize that the shards had cut me."

"That's even more worrying!" Yuda finally snapped, looking at him with his bright blue eyes full of worry and something that almost looked like fear. "That wound was so deep, it should've hurt no matter how preoccupied you were, and you didn't even feel it! If Goh hadn't found you, you could have bled to death, do you even realize that? Is it such a natural thing for you to hurt yourself that you don't even care anymore?"

"I… This…" He heard his own voice trembling. "The cutting… I only did it while we were trapped there. Not once before or after. I didn't do it on purpose this time, I promise."

"I believe that. But apparently your mind was far away enough for you to not even feel your injury." Yuda suddenly hugged him, and Ruka felt his friend trembling slightly. "Please, be more careful. Don't try to run, just… whenever you need to, talk to Rei, or to me. Even if it's in the middle of the night. Just don't take such risks as to force yourself to be alone when you're like that." When Ruka didn't respond, his throat feeling to tight to produce any sounds, he added almost in a whisper; "You know what it would do to Rei if he'd lose you in such a way. And… what it'd do to me."

With some shock, Ruka realized what his friend meant. "Yuda, I'd never… How can you think that?" How could he have made his friend think that?

"Goh came to wake me in the middle of the night, panicking because you had suddenly collapsed. And with that cut on your hand… What would you have thought?"

"No offence meant, but… you did the same while… 'there'," Ruka mentioned softly.

A long silence. "I never wounded myself as deeply as you."

"Because you can't heal yourself."

"Because I refused to lose all hope of seeing Shin again."

That hurt, it really did, and Ruka involuntarily stiffened a bit. But he couldn't deny that it was the truth, he had lost all hope of ever seeing Rei again. He knew that didn't meant he loved Rei any less than Yuda loved Shin, but it did mean that his friend was stronger than him. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'll be more careful, I won't ever purposely hurt myself again. Please, trust me on that."

Finally, Yuda looked at him again, and it startled Ruka too see the faint trail of tears on his friend's face. It immediately made him feel guilty again, reminding him of the fact that Yuda had been through the same as him, had suffered the same mental agony and the same trauma. And now they had to go back to that place, see the exact same spot again, they both were equally terrified of having to go back there. But now, they had Rei and Shin to help them through it, and each other. So whatever happened, they shouldn't make it any more difficult for each other. Still, Ruka had done exactly that, forcing Yuda to relive one of the most painful memories they shared.

"Yuda…" Almost automatically, he dried the tears on his friend's face with his thumb. "I'm so sorry…"

"Stop apologizing," Yuda interrupted him softly. "I'm not angry with you, neither is Goh, and Shin and Gai don't even know that anything happened last night. But… although, Rei wasn't suspicious about the lie, you should really tell him the truth." A somewhat shaky sigh. "And I should tell Shin."

"We'd better not do that now. They're already worried enough about having to go there, if they'd come to know more about all we went through there it'd only worry them more. Honestly, I think Rei would even go as far as forcing me to eat with only a spoon instead of fork and knife." That made them both chuckle a bit. "Either way, we'd better tell them when we really have too. Or when this assignment is over, and we'll be safe at home again." Assuming they'd succeed. They just had to believe in that.

"Let's go back inside now, I think the rest has already went on with doing research," Yuda suggested. "We'd better go help them."

Ruka only nodded and stepped back, before walking back inside with Yuda right after him. When they entered the library together, the others indeed were already busy, but none of them made a comment about the two angels being late. Well, they probably realized there had been something urgent to be discussed, knowing that neither Ruka nor Yuda was the type of person to purposely be late at work. Both Rei and Shin did give them worried looks, though. "Sorry we're late," Ruka said softly, giving a reassuring smile at Rei. Yuda sent the same type of smile to Shin, and the two smaller angels appeared content with that.

For some hours. they worked in silence, the only sound coming from Gai and Goh walking around and the occasional sound of pages turning and writing. It wasn't really a hard task what they were doing either, as long as they concentrated on the details, and Ruka was starting to feel somewhat sleepy. Geez, even Rei didn't seem that tired, even though the purple-haired angel had been awake longer than Ruka was last night. Well, maybe it was just the emotional exhaustion from yet another breakdown, the silver-haired angel thought somewhat annoyed.

"Ruka? Can you help me making lunch?" Rei suddenly asked, after a short conversation with Shin.

"Eh? Oh, sure." Rei smiled thankfully and walked to the door, waiting for Ruka before walking to the kitchen next to him. When they had gotten there though, Rei didn't immediately went to get food. Instead, he tenderly wrapped his arms around Ruka's waist and kissed him. A bit surprised, the silver-haired angel looked at him, but did kiss him back lovingly. "Mmh… This doesn't bring us much further in preparing lunch," he then chuckled.

"I know, but I just really needed to do that," Rei replied, blushing a bit. "And I couldn't really do it in the library, with all our friends around."

"Well, I'm glad to fulfill any needs you have," the taller angel remarked, smiling as Rei's cheeks heated up even more.

"Don't make such remarks right now, please." Letting out a sigh, Rei leaned against him. "It's actually… having more effect than wanted."

For once, it was Ruka whose cheeks suddenly took the color of a tomato. "Ah… s-sorry," he mumbled, smiling somewhat unsure. "Well then, let's start on lunch now."

"Yes, we should," his angel grinned, stepping back and then started walking around the kitchen to gather bread, cheese, meat and some other food. "Let's make some big sandwiches, so no one will get hungry again until dinnertime," he suggested. "Can you start on slicing the bread?"

"Sure." Obediently, Ruka looked inside a cabin for a knife, and then started cutting the bread. A slightly negative feeling rose in his chest, though, at the thought of how Rei would feel right now if he knew about all that happened in Hell. The smaller angel would probably be terrified enough to keep watching him non-stop.

That feeling faded a bit, though, when he looked at his beloved one who was now happily slicing cheese and tomatoes, humming a song softly. For now, at least, Rei didn't know about all that, and Ruka felt he should treasure that. "You seem in quite a good mood," he remarked lightly.

"Well, you always have a good effect on my mood." A teasing smile. "Usually."

Ruka smiled back softly, not saying anything else and hoping secretly that his angel would continue humming. Rei did, after some moments. Even better, the humming turned into soft singing even before Ruka was done cutting the bread into slices. It was a love song, a happy one, with a nice melody. Combined with Rei's soft and clear voice, it sounded… "It sounds like summer," Ruka said, almost inaudibly, barely noticing it himself.

"Hm?" Rei looked at him questioningly. "Did you say something?"

"That song, the way you sing it. It makes me think of summer." He saw Rei's cheeks heating up, but also noticed the happy smile on the smaller angel's face. "Please don't stop singing. It…" How could he say this without making Rei unnecessarily worried? "It stops me from thinking of our assignment."

"I'm not a good singer, Ruka, I do know that about myself." He sounded somewhat unsure, maybe wondering if the silver-haired angel was just saying this to be nice.

"You can't reach low tones or too high ones without nearly getting off-tune. But your voice is nice to listen to, and you manage to sing this song really well," Ruka explained. "If you sounded awful, I would tell you. Especially if I were standing right next to you." He grinned softly, to let Rei know that he was only joking about that last part. Rei chuckled in response, and went on slicing cheese. In some moments, though, he had found the courage to start singing again, if only even softer than before.

The silver-haired angel didn't dare to make another remark about it, not even a complement, since he knew that it would only make Rei shy. And then the smaller angel would stop singing, which was something Ruka wanted to prevent. Technically, the purple-haired angel may not be an amazing singer, but to Ruka that soft voice sounded beautiful. Even more because of the fact that Rei was singing, since that meant that the angel was in a good mood, and relaxed. Therefore, Ruka definitely didn't want his beloved one to stop.

He almost felt sorry when they were done cutting and slicing the ingredients, and Rei started to put it all on the slices of bread. Nearly time to go get the others. Well, that wasn't what he was reluctant for, but Rei wouldn't keep on singing with all of their friends around. Besides, it'd be hard anyway, to eat and sing at the same time, he thought somewhat amused. "Ruka, can you go get the others?" Rei suddenly asked.

"Sure," the silver-haired angel nodded, and started walking to the door. "And… just so you know, I really do enjoy to hear you singing," he added with a smile, just before walking out of the door, leaving Rei to stare after him for a moment with a happy smile appearing on his face.

During lunch, the subject of work was avoided, and they mainly talked about such things as the weather, or just ate in silence. Rei was sitting closely to Ruka, not talking much but his leg constantly touching the taller angel's leg. Ruka wasn't sure whether it was meant as a form of unspoken communication, or if the purple-haired angel just felt more comfortable sitting like that. Either way, feeling the warmth of his beloved one wasn't something Ruka had any objections against, especially not now.

"Ruka, do you have any plans for tonight?" Rei suddenly whispered, after lunch while they were cleaning up the table. The look on his face was a relaxed but serious one, his voice was sounding a bit unsure, though.

"No, why?" Ruka replied, not sure why they were whispering.

"Just… I have an idea… or something," Rei mumbled. "We'll talk later, okay?"

"Sure."

For the next hours, they all silently worked on their research. Dinner went by just as quietly, Rei having baked pancakes so it wouldn't take much time. It wasn't until that evening, when Rei had suddenly gone to his room, and Ruka had gone after him after only minutes since he was getting worried, that the silver-haired angel came to know what kind of plans Rei had meant.

"Rei?" Somewhat unsure, not wanting to seem overly protective again, Ruka knocked on the door.

"Y-yes?"

"Eh, are you all right?" Ruka asked unsure.

"Yes, just… wait for a moment!" He sounded somewhat panicked, and the silver-haired angel's first reaction was to go in despite what Rei had asked, to see for himself if his beloved one truly was all right. Still, he forced himself to wait for Rei letting him in, knowing that barging in wouldn't do too much good for the smaller angel's mood. Whatever his angel wanted to do, Ruka didn't want to ruin the moment even before it had started. "You can come in now," Rei finally told him.

Immediately, Ruka did as he was told, closing the door behind himself before looking around the room to see his beloved one. When he saw him standing, though, he almost forgot how to breath for a moment. "Rei… you look amazing," he mumbled, staring openly at the smaller angel.

Rei smiled shyly, standing in front of the window and being shined upon by the setting sun. It were his clothes, though, that really caught Ruka's eye. A thin, deep purple shirt and a tight pair of pants in the same color. Over that, he was wearing a thick red coat, which almost reached his knees. "I thought… maybe we could go out flying tonight? As in a… a real date?" He swallowed nervously. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

"Rei…" He couldn't help but to smile softly at how red his angel's cheeks were right now, how he kept looking the taller angel in the eyes even though he was nearly trembling from shyness. "I'd love to."

Letting out a somewhat childish, but undoubtedly happy squeal, Rei ran to him and gave him a hug. "Thanks!"

"Did you truly think there'd be any chance of me saying 'no'?" Ruka asked incredulously, wrapping his arms around his angel's slender frame.

"Not really. I just…" A deep sigh. "I was afraid that you'd think of me as weird for suggesting something like it at a time like this. Or that you'd laugh at me."

"I'd never laugh at you, not if it would be sure to hurt your feelings." A gentle kiss onto his lips proved to be enough to make the purple-haired angel relax fully, his eyes sliding shut. "So, where do you want to go to?" Ruka mumbled against Rei's soft lips.

"Mmh… Someplace deserted, preferably. And quiet. And beautiful…"

Suddenly, Ruka was the one who was getting nervous. "Eh… what exactly are you up to?" That only earned him a somewhat haughty look, and the remark that he'd just have to wait and see. "Well… do you want me to redress too?"

"Ah… only if you want to, don't feel obligated to," Rei immediately responded, every possible effect from that haughty look being successfully undone by the shyness that was showing in his eyes now.

"I didn't ask if it was obligated," Ruka said softly. "I asked if you want me to."

At that, the smaller angel's cheeks heated up a bit, but he couldn't suppress a faint smile. "Well… honestly, I'd really like it if you did. It'd make it more special. More like a true date," he admitted softly, looking up at his beloved one almost pleadingly.

"Then I'll redress." Tenderly, Ruka gave him another kiss, a short one. "And next time, don't be afraid to say what you want. You know I'd do anything for you, and I'll love doing it simply because it'll make you happy."

Rei didn't reply, but the shy and happy smile that lit up his beautiful eyes even more, said enough.

* * *

**So… I don't think it's hard to guess what Rei's secret plans are ;) **

**I'll update soon^^**


	10. Flying high

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**So… Rei has to do something to cheer up Ruka, right? ;) WARNING: yaoi, in some… strange poses… XD  
And sorry for not updating last week, I was too busy with Christmas^^'**

* * *

In silence, Ruka redressed into a tight grey pair of jeans and a thin blouse, in a shade of red that matched his eyes. Granted, he only knew that because Rei had pointed it out to him, but that did mean that the purple-haired angel liked the color, right? Ruka just hoped so. Over it all, he was wearing a thick coat, same as Rei, but in black. "So.. does this seem okay?" he asked, feeling somewhat shy about asking his beloved one for his opinion about it. What if Rei didn't like it enough? Geez, now he knew how humans felt at their first dates. It wasn't a relaxing feeling, that was for sure.

"You look great," Rei replied, slowly walking to Ruka. "Just…" Gently, he unbuttoned the upper part of the grey blouse. "Now it's perfect," he said with a bright smile, before softly kissing the taller angel.

"Rei…" Ruka smiled uncomfortably, though happy about his beloved one's response. "You're making me shy. S-shall we go now?"

The smaller angel seemed somewhat amused by that, and smiled softly. "You usually are the one to have that effect on me all the time. Anyhow, let's at least tell someone we're going out, or our friends will be worried."

"Yes, indeed," Ruka nodded, watching Rei running out of the room, yelling something at him that sounded like 'I'll be right back'. Grinning softly, he waited and soon heard a soft thumb somewhat further down the hall and his angel apologizing. After Rei's announcement about his and Ruka's plans, the other person replied that he'd tell the others if they'd ask. Then there was some softer talking, not loud enough for Ruka to understand, before his angel came running back into the room.

"I ran into Shin, so he knows now where we are. Well, that we're out anyway, we'll see where we land," the purple-haired angel told him.

"Ran into him literarily?" Ruka chuckled, deciding not to ask what the softer talking had been about. It had probably been about either him or Yuda, or both of them, he knew that. But it was a fact that Rei and Shin were almost as close as twin brothers, so Ruka didn't mind at all that the two discussed all bits about their relationships. They could tell each other things that they couldn't even discuss with their beloved ones, so it wouldn't become a burden to them, so why would the silver-haired angel mind? Honestly, it wasn't like he always told Rei everything. And he was pretty sure that his secret was a lot worse than anything that the purple-haired angel didn't tell him.

"Yeah, but he didn't mind it," Rei grinned. "So, shall we leave?"

"Okay…" Suddenly, he remembered something he'd seen on television once. "Wait here for a moment, I'll be right back!" Without waiting for a response, he ran out the door and down the stairs. Then towards the door to the backyard. A flash of blue hair and startled golden eyes when he ran round the last corner, and a soft thumb when he ran into the other angel. "Sorry!" he apologized immediately, jumping onto his feet and helping up the smaller angel.

Shin chuckled dryly. "Maybe I should stay in my room until you and Rei have left?"

"Nah, I'll fly back up Rei's room, so you'll be safe," Ruka grinned, somewhat guiltily. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay," Shin reassured him. "But if Rei is waiting, you should hurry up, right?"

"Yeah, I should. See you later!" Quickly, he ran off again, quickly searching through the garden before making his wings appear and flying up to the window of Rei's room. Soon after he had tapped on the window, the curtains flew open and Rei looked at him surprised.

"Ruka? Why did you come back this way?" the purple-haired angel asked, while opening the window to let in his beloved one.

"For Shin's safety," Ruka grinned sheepishly. "I ran into him too, on my way to the garden."

Rei grinned softly, but then asked seriously; "He isn't hurt?"

"No, otherwise I'd be being chased by Yuda right now, probably with some kitchen knife. Anyhow…" Gently, Ruka placed his hand on Rei's cheek, turning the smaller angel's head a bit, and then tugged a beautiful red flower into his hair. "It matches your coat, and... I've seen on television that humans give each other flowers too, at dates. Well, usually from boy to girl, but…" He trailed off and averted his gaze to the floor unsurely, suddenly realizing he had practically called Rei a girl.

His angel looked at him with a somewhat amused smile on his face. "Well, for once I don't mind my gender being twisted." Just as Ruka looked up at him again, the purple-haired angel stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "Thanks for the flower, it's beautiful." After giving Ruka a short kiss onto his lips, he let go of his beloved one. "Did you get it from the garden?"

"Eh… yes," the taller angel admitted. "I thought of it just now. Besides, it probably won't last until next morning, and this way it's beauty won't be lost once this particular flower withers. There'll always be more of it… just like our love will last forever." In his mind, that had sounded a lot more logical, but Rei seemed to understand what he meant anyway, throwing himself into Ruka's arms yet again.

"That's… that's really romantic, in a strange way," the smaller angel said, laughing softly with his face pressed against the side of his beloved one's neck. Unsure of how to respond, Ruka just held him for a moment, until the smaller angel stepped back and made his golden wings appear. "Shall we now go?"

Ruka only nodded, gently taking hold of Rei's hand. "You can lead the way, I'll follow you anywhere."

The smaller angel smiled happily and flew off, pulling Ruka along. He honestly didn't have any idea where they were going, all he could concentrate upon was the feeling of Ruka's hand holding his, and the smile on his beloved one's face. It always made him feel glad to see Ruka happy, but especially since last night. Sure neither Ruka, Yuda or Goh had shown an sign of something being wrong, but the look on Yuda's face when he had brought Ruka to Rei's room, the guilty look on the silver-haired angel's face when he woke up, and especially the relieved look when Rei had said what Goh had told him had happened, made the purple-haired angel a bit unsure. And when Yuda had suddenly took Ruka for a private conversation, after acting so coldly all through breakfast-time, Rei had known for sure that there was something they weren't telling him.

He didn't ask of course. If it were important, or when Ruka was ready to, he'd tell him. If it was anything like Rei suspected, asking about it would only make it worse. More importantly, the risk of accidentally sounding like he was accusing Ruka was just too big to take. And he'd never forgive himself if he'd accidentally made his beloved one feel bad, not in such a situation.

"Rei? Is anything wrong?" Ruka suddenly asked, looking at him somewhat worried.

"Eh?" Realizing he hadn't spoken for minutes already, Rei smiled at him. "Ah, sorry. I was just lost in thoughts for a moment. Everything is fine." Resolutely, he pushed away any depressing or scaring thoughts, not wanting to let anything spoil tonight. For now, for the rest of the night, the world was only him and Ruka, and the love they shared. The silver-haired angel still watched him unsurely, though. "So… ever tried kissing while flying?" Rei blurted out, in an attempt to brighten the mood.

"Wha…" For a moment, his angel just stared at him incredulously. "No. But I'm willing to try."

The smaller angel smiled shyly, and turned a bit, almost flying on his side. "Come here then," he whispered softly, feeling his cheeks heating up. Gently, Ruka wrapped his arms around the purple-haired angel's thin waist, and kissed him carefully. "Mmh…" The unreal feeling of flying and kissing at the same time was too distracting to allow him to keep balanced, and he automatically turned onto his back. The somewhat shaky, fluttering movements that his wings now made, dragged them a bit lower in the air, but neither of them even realized.

Ruka could only look at how his beloved angel looked right now, that porcelain face heated up from their kiss, those beautiful dark golden eyes half-closed and surrounded by those thick eyelashes. And fluttering his wings like a bird drunk on love. "Rei…" he mumbled, breaking their kiss for a moment. "You're so beautiful." That resulted in the smaller angel's cheeks turning into an even deeper shade of red, perfectly matching the color of Ruka's eyes. Before he could respond, though, the silver-haired angel had recaptured his lips into another kiss, a deep one.

A soft shiver went through Rei's body, his wings fluttering quickly and erratically now for a moment. "Mmh… n-ng…" In a movement so quick that Ruka barely noticed it coming, the smaller angel wrapped his arms around his beloved one's shoulders, pulling himself up against Ruka to be as close as possible to his body. He apparently had forgotten all about the fact that he was supposed to be flying, his wings only showing now what Ruka's touch did to him. When the silver-haired angel gently moved his arms a bit, to support Rei better, the smaller angel's wings immediately fluttered a bit before hanging limply underneath him again. "Ouch…Ruka, this… this feels so good," he whispered breathlessly. "Why didn't we try this before?"

"Because it would have been an inconvenience to be doing this while being shot at by demons. Or while our friends were watching," Ruka chuckled.

"Mmh… yeah." Rei smiled shyly. "Although… I don't think I'd even have noticed if they'd been watching just now. P-please… go on?" Trembling softly, he looked up at his beloved one. Those beautiful golden eyes were full of love, and a certain eagerness that honestly made it difficult for Ruka to not kiss him again.

"Let's find a place to land first, I don't think I'll be able to keep up both in the sky for much longer," he suggested, already searching the forest below them for a nice spot.

"Ah… y-yes. H-hurry, please." Apparently too preoccupied already, the purple-haired angel just hung in Ruka's arms while the taller angel tried to find a place to land.

There were more than enough places where they could land safely, but they weren't good enough right now. They'd need a place with some soft grass or moss covering the ground, far enough from any villages to not be discovered. And most importantly, it needed to be beautiful, like Rei wanted. Which proved pretty hard to find, but finally he found a perfect spot. A small patch of grass in the middle of the trees, next to a calmly flowing creek. "Hold on," he whispered into Rei's ear. Considering that was already enough to make a shudder go through that slender body, Ruka really did need to hurry.

As carefully as he could he landed, slowly lowering Rei to the ground. Laying on the ground, looking up at him pleadingly, Rei truly looked breathtakingly beautiful. Ruka didn't even realize how long he was staring at his beloved one, until Rei, still embracing the taller angel, slowly slid his hands down over Ruka's body to undo his pants. Careful as if the purple-haired angel could break if he'd be too rough, Ruka returned the favor, undoing Rei's pants and slowly pulling them down the smaller angel's long legs.

"Rei…" Unable to say any more, he leaned down and kissed his angel again. Taken by surprise, Rei let out a stifled moan, quickly dragging down Ruka's pants.

"G-good thing this isn't r-really a first date," the purple-haired angel grinned sheepishly, after breaking their kiss due to a need of oxygen.

"Indeed," Ruka chuckled, before slowly kissing the side of Rei's neck and then turning him over to his stomach gently. "Don't withdraw your wings," he whispered. "You're even more beautiful when you show them." He hadn't withdrawn his own wings either, they now formed a silver blanket over their lower bodies, guarding them against the coldness of the night.

Letting out a shuddering sigh, Rei spread his wings and softly brushed Ruka's sides with them. Somehow, even though they had roughly the same texture as regular wings, they felt so much more soft and warm, by the angelic energy that formed them. Sure, his own wings were the same, set aside the color, but to be touched by Rei's wings felt so much more special. They barely ever let anyone touch their wings. Not that they had any objection against people touching them, but it wasn't like anyone ever needed to. But somehow, that made the touch so intimate. That, and the fact that their wings were formed by their energy, making Rei's wings feel so ultimately… like Rei. Ruka knew that sounded stupid as an explanation, but due to the way Rei had positioned his legs to be touched by Ruka's wings as much as possible, he knew he didn't need to explain. His beloved one, as usual, understood what he felt because he felt the same.

"R-Ruka…" The smaller angel sounded almost impatiently. "Please… take me…"

The silver-haired angel did as he was asked without any reluctance, carefully preparing his beloved one before entering. Rei let out a deep moan, pressing his back against Ruka's chest. "R-Rei?" Even at a moment like this, the taller angel still couldn't help but to worry about his beloved angel.

"I'm fine, Ruka… G-go on…"

Slowly, Ruka started moving, and heard his beloved one moan breathlessly underneath him, those golden wings twitching for a moment. Tenderly, he kissed the back of Rei's neck, partly uncovered by the long purple strands of hair. As soon as his lips touched the soft skin, he felt his angel holding his breath for a moment before moaning contently. Still kissing the back of Rei's neck, Ruka pushed his hands underneath the smaller angel's body and started rubbing certain spots that caused Rei's moans to become clearly louder.

Rei's wings were fluttering uselessly now, which somehow made him look even more breathtaking. "Mmh… R-Rei…" Suddenly, the purple-haired angel made the exact right move, making Ruka groan contently. Barely able to think coherently anymore, he just continued moving, and kissing every spot of Rei that he could reach, occasionally nearly biting him when Rei made certain moves or noises.

"Bite… harder," the slender angel suddenly moaned breathlessly. "A-ah…"

"But…" Ruka weakly protested, reluctant to hurt his beloved one.

"P-please… bite… F-feels so…" Interrupting himself by letting out a deep moan, Rei pressed his back against Ruka's chest. Gently, the taller angel nibbled on his angel's soft skin. Immediately, the purple-haired angel fluttered his wings again, showing the effect that touch had on his body. Feeling the tension in his lower body getting more and more intense, Ruka did his best to bring Rei to the same point, which didn't take too much effort. The smaller angel was moaning with every breath now, his wings twitching rather than fluttering.

Ruka had managed to keep his own wings still throughout most of their love-making, but when Rei reached his climax and pushed him over the edge too, he automatically spread his wings as widely as they could, causing a gust of wind to wipe over the forest ground. Underneath him Rei collapsed, gasping for breath, and Ruka could only barely manage to pull out and lie down next to him. It'd probably wouldn't do much good for the smaller angel to have Ruka lying on top of him now, although Rei did seem to be pleased by the fact that one of Ruka's wings was still covering part of his body. Folding one of his own wings underneath Ruka's, he managed to return the favor and cover most of his beloved one's lower body.

Still, that didn't feel like enough. Eager for some more warmth and comfort, some more… Rei, Ruka crawled closer to him and snuggled as closely against his angel's side as possible. "I love you," he whispered in the smaller angel's ear, receiving a tired but loving smile in response.

For some time, they just laid there, enjoying each other's warmth and company, until finally Ruka sat up. "Maybe we should go home now, it's getting late."

"Mmh… Why did I get the idea of going so far from home?" Rei groaned, sitting up slowly. Letting out a sigh, he then added; "It was worth it, though."

"Definitely," the silver-haired angel nodded, wrapping his arms around his beloved one. "You have no idea how breathtaking you looked with your wings spread, while… doing 'that'."

"Y-you looked pretty amazing too," Rei mumbled, feeling his cheeks heating up. A bit shy, he averted his gaze towards the ground, suddenly seeing something lying there. "Ah, we lost some feathers!" Ruka followed his gaze, and indeed, there lay a silver and a golden feather, only a short distance from each other.

"Then…" Carefully, Ruka lifted the feathers off the ground. Even now that they weren't connected to the angels anymore, they still looked unearthly beautiful, shining faintly with their angelic energy. "We shouldn't just leave them here, we don't know what effect it might have on humans."

"But it seems like a waste to just throw them away," Rei commented.

"Yeah…" Ruka stared at them for a moment. "I think I got an idea… but let's go back home first."

A bit surprised, Rei looked at his beloved one, wondering what that idea was then. Well, Ruka didn't seem eager to tell yet, so he decided to just wait and see. It would be nice to keep them, though, as a reminder of their most passionate night so far.

"Rei, are you feeling well enough to fly?"

"Yes, my body is just a bit sore. That's all." A bit stiffly, he moved his wings, sending a somewhat unexpected sting through his back. "Ouch… a bit much sore."

"Well, I can try carry you…"

"No, you're just as tired!"

"But undoubtedly less sore."

A short silence. "Okay, that's true." But still, he didn't want to force his beloved one to carry him all the way home. "I'll just see how far I can get, okay?"

"Okay. But…"

"I'll say so if it hurts too much to fly on," Rei interrupted him with a soft smile. "Let's go now, it's only getting later." With that, he flew off. Almost immediately, he felt a hand gently grabbing hold on his, and saw Ruka flying next to him, still seeming worried. "Don't look at me like I could drop out of the sky at any moment now. You're holding my hand, so you can be sure I'd never fall."

"Still. It'd be my fault if anything would happen, because…"

"I allowed you to do that to my body voluntarily, knowing all too well how it would affect me afterwards. Don't make it sound like something you should feel guilty about." A somewhat shy smile. "I enjoy it just as much as you do."

At that, Ruka finally chuckled softly. "Well, that's the point of it, right?" Still, he kept holding Rei's hand tightly as they flew back home. Honestly, the purple-haired angel didn't mind at all. It did make him feel more safe, even if he wouldn't admit that to his beloved one.

He felt more relieved than he wanted to show, when they finally reached the large window to his room. Finally letting go of his beloved one's hand, he let himself drop down onto the bed. "Finally home."

"I'll be out for a moment, could you wait for me? I really need to talk to you about something before we go to sleep."

"Sure," Rei replied, surprised. "What important things do you have to do at this hour?"

"Just… It'll be finished within half an hour, I won't leave the house. Just… wait for me?" Ruka seemed almost nervous, which made Rei feel somewhat worried, but he nodded in accordance nonetheless. "Thanks. I'll hurry." With that, the silver-haired angel practically ran out of the room.

"Ruka…" Letting out a sigh, Rei laid back on the bed, closing his eyes for just a moment. This was a bit too comfy, he realized when he caught himself on almost falling asleep. Whatever Ruka was doing, he obviously needed to talk to Rei later. Considering their situation, how tense the silver-haired angel still seemed to be despite Rei's efforts to reassure him that it'd turn out well, he didn't want to give his beloved one any more stress. Better to go do something, instead of lying here.

Slowly, to allow his aching back to take it easy, he sat back up. Maybe he could get ready for bed? Well, there wasn't much else to do, he figured. Silently, he went to grab his hairbrush and sat back down, starting to brush the long purple strands of hair. It made him feel even more sleepy, making these almost automatic and even movements, but at least he'd couldn't really fall asleep sitting like this. After that, he redressed into his nightclothes, this time choosing for a soft silken nightgown. It might be called 'girly', but it wasn't like anyone besides himself or Ruka would see it. And besides, the fabric was warm and comfortable.

Somehow, he got through the time without falling asleep, sitting quietly on the bed when Ruka finally returned. "Rei? Sorry to make you wait."

"It's all right." He smiled softly, noticing how nervous his angel seemed to be. "So, what was so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

"Well…" Not looking back at the purple-haired angel, Ruka walked around the bed, kneeling onto the floor. "Rei… now that we've been imitating human traditions anyway…" Finally he looked up, and Rei suddenly got the urge to hug him when he saw the shy and almost scared look in his beloved one's eyes. "Rei… Will you be my beloved one forever?" His hand shaking almost unnoticeably, he offered the smaller angel a thin silver necklace, whatever was hanging from it being hidden by his hand.

Although he wasn't feeling the slightest bit sad, Rei suddenly felt the urge to cry. "Ruka…" Feeling himself trembling suddenly, he swallowed, trying to calm himself down. "Of course I will." Ruka smiled happily, and then carefully put the necklace around Rei's neck. Now that the smaller angel could finally see what was hanging from it, he felt his breath hitch for a moment. Shining softly, there hung the feather that had fallen from one of Ruka's wings, the silver of that feather even more beautiful than the silver of the necklace itself. "So… that's what… Oh, Ruka…" Smiling shyly, but so happy that it almost hurt, he stroked the feather. It was so soft.

"I thought it'd be a nice idea. You having my feather… and me having yours," Ruka explained nervously, sitting down onto the bed, across of his beloved one. Now, Rei finally saw that he was holding another necklace.

"Then… let me put yours around your neck," he offered softly. Ruka handed it over to him, and Rei carefully put it around his angel's neck. "Ruka, this honestly is the most romantic, sweet thing anyone ever did for me. I love you so much!" That line ended somewhat stifled, as he finally wrapped his arms around his beloved one and buried his face against Ruka's shoulder.

"I love you too." Gently but tight, the taller angel hugged him back. "But I was so scared you'd think of this as silly." A somewhat shaky chuckle. "I've had these necklaces for months, even before… before things went wrong in the first place. I just didn't have the courage to do this. And when we were finally back together, and knew that we can now be together forever, I just didn't know what to put on it as bead. I thought of diamonds or other gemstones, but… that just didn't feel special enough. The feathers… it'll remind us of each other whenever we're apart. At least, that's the idea."

"That's a great idea," Rei immediately responded. "And… Ruka, I just can barely believe that you really thought this over so much." Tenderly, he kissed his angel, feeling gratefully how Ruka gently deepened their kiss. "Mmh…" Pressing his body against Ruka's, he felt the two feathers touching each other, giving a soft glow when the angelic energies met. It made it even more special, a sign that they were really a couple in the deepest sense of that word. When they finally broke apart for breath, he looked down at the necklaces, noticing the glow fading slowly when the two stopped touching each other, only keeping their own faint shine.

"Eh… unlike wedding-rings, it might be better to take them off while we sleep, though," Ruka commented. "I mean, technically I can always make new ones, but it'd be a pity if these feathers would get broken."

"Indeed," Rei nodded. "But…during the day, I'll only keep it underneath my clothes when we're outside, so there'll be less chance of losing it."

Realizing what this meant, Ruka smiled at him again. "You won't mind if our friends see?"

"Not at all. Unless… you'd rather hide them?" he asked unsurely.

"I don't mind them seeing it either." Tenderly, Ruka kissed him again, shortly. "I'll go get dressed for bed now, we shouldn't forget there's still a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"Indeed," Rei nodded, but didn't say anything more about the subject of their assignment, not wanting to spoil this mood. Ruka seemed happier than he had been since Zeus had told them what they'd have to do, which was a great relieve. Honestly, after last night, the purple-haired angel was willing to do anything to prevent his angel from feeling so scared by his memories ever again.

"Rei?"

"Eh?" Not even having realized himself getting lost in thoughts, he looked at his beloved one turning off the lights and getting into bed. "Oh, you're already done." Feeling his cheeks heating up a bit in embarrassment, he lay down too and the carefully untied his necklace to place it safely onto the small table next to his bed.

"You seem tired. Can… I hold you?"

Rei only smiled softly and lay down closely against his beloved one. The silver-haired angel got the hint and gently wrapped his arms around the smaller angel, pulling him close. As expected, Rei fell asleep within minutes. His smile, though, kept for a much longer time, while he dreamt pleasantly about Ruka's beautiful smile, and soft silver feathers.

* * *

**They'll get back to work in the next chapter ;) But I wanted them to have some romantic moments first 3**

**I'll update next week^^**


	11. I'm a believer

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

Something was shining down on his face, warming it. Though it felt nice, Rei sighed unhappily when he realized it was the sun shining through a small gap between the curtains, warning him that it was morning and time to get out of bed. Tiredly, he opened his eyes and looked up at the angel lying quietly next to him. "Ruka, wake up." Gently, he shook at the taller angel's shoulder. "We have to get up early, there's work to do!"

"Mmh?" With noticeable reluctance, Ruka opened his eyes. "Morning already? I don't wanna get up yet."

Rei couldn't help but to laugh softly at that childish response. "Come on, we can't let the others start without us. That'd be unfair to them. Besides, don't you want people to see our necklaces?" He, for one, really wanted to show Shin and tell his best friend every detail of his date with Ruka and how the silver-haired angel had given him the necklace.

"Alright, I'll get up." Slowly, Ruka got out of bed. Rei followed immediately, knowing he'd probably fall asleep again if he'd keep lying down any longer, and they both got dressed before fastening the necklaces around each other's necks. "You won't get too shy?"

"No, definitely not. Though… would you mind if I go disturb Shin for a moment? He's probably already awake, and I won't get any other chance to tell him about yesterday night in private. Well, not until this evening, but I can't wait that long, then I'd have to sit next to him in the library, wanting to tell it, but then everyone will hear the details…"

"Yeah. Shin, I can live with, but if Gai would find out then he'd tease us forever," Ruka grinned. "Well then, I'll go check if anyone is downstairs already, and I'll see you during breakfast."

"Okay." A bit shyly, Rei kept looking at him, hoping to get a goodbye-kiss. They'd only be apart for a short time but… Well, he could never get enough of kissing his beloved one. He didn't want to seem too needy, though, worried that Ruka would start feeling obligated to kiss him. An unrealistic fear, maybe. But it was just part of his being to worry about things like that.

And indeed, Ruka leaned down and kissed him tenderly, sighing softly against the smaller angel's soft lips. "Mmh… Rei, I could kiss you all the time if I could."

"Same here," Rei admitted, smiling softly. "But I guess the waiting makes it even better, right?" Ruka only smiled and kissed him again, before leaving the room to go downstairs. Rei, after that, walked through the hallway to Shin's room, and softly knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Shin's soft voice sounded.

"It's me. I really have to tell you something!"

Suddenly, the door opened and Shin pulled him in. "Try to be quiet, Yuda is still sleeping. But I can't exactly go to the garden to talk in private." Looking down at his friend's body, Rei saw that he was only wearing a nightgown, similar to his own. Yeah, it'd be pretty awkward to walk around in that, when everyone could see it. Especially since the one Shin was wearing, was a bit old and a bit… transparent. "So, what do you want to tell?"

"Eh? Well… Ruka and me went flying above the forest yesterday evening, like you know…" He saw the grin on his friend's face. "And next time we'll try not to run you over before we go… But anyway, we went flying, and… I suggested to kiss while flying, and he did. And then we went a bit… further. The… 'deep' part… We did that on the ground, though." Feeling his cheeks heating up, he averted his gaze towards the floor. "Well, and then… before we went back home, I noticed we had both lost a feather while doing… 'it'…"

"A feather?" Shin asked surprised. "You mean… with your wings out, you…? "

Rei nodded shyly, but with a faint smile on his face. "It really felt amazing. His wings were so warm and soft and… just feeling so completely like him. Either way, we both lost a feather, and Ruka took them home with us. Then he suddenly said he had to go do something, but asked me to wait for him before going to sleep. So I did, and after about half an hour he can back, and…" A happy smile spread on his face when he thought back on that moment. "I was sitting on the bed, he kneeled next to it and then offered me a necklace while asking if I'd be his beloved one forever. You know, like humans do when they propose." He showed his friend the necklace, and more importantly, what hung from it. "He made me a necklace with his feather as decoration, and he has one with my feather."

"Wow, that's so romantic. Congratulations, I guess," Shin responded enthusiastically, but the look on his face saddened a bit when he added; "I'd wish Yuda and me could do something like that."

"Hm, you don't have wings… but something with a strand of hair, maybe?" Immediately, Rei started thinking about it, eager for his friend to get to the same point with Yuda. He just felt so happy when Ruka gave him this necklace, and made their relationship truly official in a way, and he really wanted Shin to have the same happiness.

"Well, honestly… We haven't even done… 'that'… yet," the blue-haired angel admitted softly, not looking back at his friend. "We were planning to, but then things just got in the way somehow. I didn't tell you this yet, but when you were still having that fever, then after I fell asleep in the library, I had a talk with Yuda. About how much we both still fear to lose each other… and then I kind of fainted from exhaustion. So that made him worry about me so much, he didn't even try to start anything for the days after. Then we got that assignment from Zeus, and we've been too busy. I mean, you and Ruka obviously made time for it, but… Well… Not to make it sound like that makes it less special, but you two have done it before. So you know what to expect, to a certain extend. But… it's just so difficult to find the courage to start with the first time… when you're both thinking about that assignment. Yuda seems too scared of hurting me in any way, and I'm too scared of making him feel like I don't care about how terrified he feels to have to go back to Hell. I mean, if he's stressing out about it, even if he doesn't let it show, and I suddenly try to… you know… Then won't it seem like I'm being selfish?"

"But…" Unsure of how to respond, but seeing how much this burdened the other angel, Rei thought about it for a moment. "If… if you kiss him… and then go a bit further… If he responds, then won't that mean that he wants it too at that moment? I mean, if you're both too scared of hurting each other, then nothing will ever happen, right? He'll be too worried about hurting you physically, and you'll be too worried about hurting his feelings."

"I know you're right. But I just can't seem to gather the courage. Still, I'd really like to do 'it' before our research is done and we'll have to go down to Hell."

To Rei's shock, he suddenly saw the faint shimmer of tears threatening to fall from his friends eyes. "Shin!" Automatically, he hugged his friend, feeling the blue-haired angel leaning into him for comfort. "Shin… If you really feel the need for that so badly… you should tell Yuda. If it's so much of a burden on you not to have done 'that' before you won't have another chance for at least days, more probably weeks, then you shouldn't wait until he tells you it's okay. Knowing him, he'll be way too scared of pushing you too much. You know that even better that I do." He felt his throat clench when he felt some tears falling onto his shoulder, and Shin's hands grabbing the back of his angel robe in an effort to hold him close. "Shin, you're worrying about this so much that you're crying now. How long do you thing you can keep it in before you'll make yourself sick from stress? Besides the fact that I hate seeing you feeling unwell, it'd make the assignment way more dangerous to you and all of us if you're not at a hundred percent."

"I know… I'm just such a coward." Taking a deep breath, the blue-haired angel sat back up, but didn't get out of Rei's embrace. "And I really shouldn't be crying, it'll only worry everyone." He couldn't stop a soft sob from leaving his chest, though. "Geez, Yuda and Ruka are being forced to face their biggest trauma ever… and here I am crying because I'm too shy to have sex with my beloved one." His trembling voice held a faint hint of self-loathing, but it was enough for Rei to pull his friend back against him.

"It's important enough for you to cry about, obviously. But at the risk of sounding like a mother, you have to talk to Yuda about this, or I will go talk to him! Which do you prefer?"

"N-Nng…" Shin just shook his head, fighting back sobs. "Why can't I j-just be like you and b-blurt it out when something h-has bothered me to this point? I just k-keep thinking and t-thinking… but I never do a-anything! A-and now I'm even jealous of you, which is horrible since you deserve it so much to be happy, but I can't help to wish that Yuda and me would have the same!"

"But you do have the same. It just needs time and some effort to grow," Rei tried to comfort him. "Shin, please don't feel so bad. Not while I'm feeling so happy… I'm sorry…" Barely able to fight off his own tears, he stopped talking and instead just pulled his friend even tighter against himself.

"W-what? Rei, what are you sorry for?" Almost roughly, Shin forced the purple-haired angel to look back at him. "Please, don't ever feel guilty about telling me about good things that happened to you. Yuda and me will be fine, eventually. Right now… it's just not moving fast enough for me. I know we'll eventually be at a point in our relationship, where you and Ruka are now. It just… hurts that I feel so incapable of just telling him how I feel. After all that he's been through, I don't ever want him to feel even remotely as bad as he felt when he and Ruka were in Hell."

"Shin…" Yuda's voice sounded softly. Startled, both Rei and Shin looked up, the blue-haired angel turning around quickly in his friend's arms. Yuda only looked at his beloved one, silently taking the smaller angel's hand. "Shin, whatever you'd do to me, you could never make me feel as horrible as being in Hell did. Just…" He swallowed with some effort. "Please realize that telling me how you felt, would have made me feel a bit embarrassed maybe, but… It hurts to see you this way. Not telling me will only make me feel worse when you can no longer hide what's on your mind."

"I'm sorry," the blue-haired angel mumbled. "I…"

"You're not weak, you're not a coward, and you're not pathetic!" Rei interrupted him. "You love him, and he loves you, that's clear. Now go make it up to each other!" With that, he simply pushed Shin into Yuda's arms, even folding the taller angel's arms around Shin's back. "Go kiss, then have a serious conversation, and don't leave this room until you've both told each other what's on your mind! I'll inform the other's that you'll be later because of some personal issues, they'll won't mind. So have a good talk, without any hurry or reserve. Understood?"

Shin nodded, giving him a thankful glance. Yuda mumbled; "Yes, mommy", but looked just as thankful. Smiling back shyly, wondering where he'd even gotten the courage to say what he'd said, Rei stood up and then silently left the room. Just before he closed the door behind himself, though, Yuda looked up at him. "By the way, congratulations on sharing feathers with Ruka."

"T-thanks," Rei replied, smiling happily. Downstairs, Ruka Goh and Gai had already sat down for breakfast, and Rei quickly told them that Shin and Yuda would be a bit late.

"Aww, you two are so cute!" Gai exclaimed without even paying attention to the remark about Shin and Yuda. He did succeed in making Rei's cheeks as red as Ruka's eyes. "And now you even have matching colors!"

"Gai, don't be mean," Goh reprimanded the small blonde, but couldn't stop himself from grinning at that last remark.

"It's okay, I know he's as harmless as a newborn kitty," Rei teased, chuckling when the blonde glared at him. Though something in the smaller angel's eyes gave him the feeling it wasn't just Gai being himself this time. Was the blonde… jealous? Maybe Gai and Goh were closer than he had thought. Or maybe Gain just wanted them to, but didn't have the courage to admit that, which would explain why the blonde felt jealous of Rei and Ruka's relationship.

"Rei?"

"Hm?" Realizing that he'd been lost in thought, Rei looked up at his beloved one.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"Ah, yeah." A sheepish grin. "Just thinking…" That line was ended abruptly when Ruka shove a sandwich with peach jelly into the purple-haired angel's mouth. "M…mmh!" Quickly, he swallowed, nearly chocking on it. "Ruka! Would you mind not to try killing me?"

"Sorry," his beloved one smiled. "I didn't mean to, I just couldn't resist. Besides, you know I wouldn't mind giving you mouth-to-mouth if you'd choke."

"You know you have that privilege without me needing to choke. I'd actually prefer it without need," Rei remarked dryly, before giving his angel a short kiss, ignoring Gai pretending to puke. "Besides, I'm more in the mood for strawberry, this morning."

* * *

**So… they'll get back to their assignment in the next chapter (probably) ;)**

**I'll update in a week^^**


	12. Back to work

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

After breakfast, the four Saint Beasts went to the library again, ready for another day of research. Or, as Rei felt it, a day of fighting the urge to just fall asleep. Even though he'd said himself that Shin and Yuda should take their time talking, he did hope his friend would be here soon. Research would be boring anyway, but when he did that together with the blue-haired angel, at least the urge to sleep would be less strong. Then again, today it might not be just the work being boring, but his drowsiness could also be blamed on how late he and Ruka had came home, past night.

Either way, after only a few moments of reading and making some notes, trying his hardest to concentrate on what he was reading, he felt his eyes drifting shut for a moment. Sighing softly, he forced them back open, looking up startled when Goh placed a few new books next to him. "You might want to hurry a bit, or we'll get stuck eventually."

"Y-yes. Sorry," Rei mumbled embarrassedly. He had to admit, despite how happy he was about last night's events, that it hadn't been such a wise idea to stay up late, while they were in the middle of a serious assignment. Still, he was really doing the best he could manage right now, wasn't that obvious enough? Sighing again, he went on with reading the book, deciding that he didn't have much else of a choice than to just try harder. Pushing himself harder did work, though. Within half an hour, he was at the same pace as his friends again, but still felt relieved when Shin and Yuda finally came in.

"Sorry that we're so late," Yuda immediately apologized.

"Rei said it was with good reason, so it doesn't matter," Ruka responded.

"Thanks," Shin whispered, sitting down next to the purple-haired angel, smiling gratefully at him. "I can't tell you the details now, but talking did help."

"That's great," Rei responded, happy to see his friend in a good mood again.

"You seem tired." Worriedly, the blue-haired angel looked at his friend. "Is it because… what you did last night?"

"Yeah." He smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine, though." Still, he wasn't able to suppress a yawn. "Let's just get to work, before I fall asleep."

"Okay." The blue-haired angel looked at the table. "So, what is the progress since yesterday?"

"One book, about five pages of notes. Four of those are already with Ruka and Yuda, the fifth one is full now too." Only one book, which wasn't much for half an hour of work. Still, at least Shin seemed understanding, instead of hurried. "I know it won't make things go any faster, but could we please read the books together? I'm afraid to miss little details otherwise."

"Sure, but try to be more rested tomorrow. Besides the fact that this will be slower than both of us reading, you should prevent exhausting yourself right before an assignment." He sighed softly. "Especially one as serious as this." Rei only nodded guiltily. "I'll go pass that note to Yuda and Ruka, okay? Could you start on the next book already?"

"Yeah." The purple-haired angel immediately picked up the book on top of the pile, opening it at the first page. Boring, small, old-fashioned letters. Great, that'd make it easier for him to keep concentrated, he thought sarcastically. At least he had Shin now.

"Rei?" Shin's soft voice startled him, and with some shock he realized he'd been staring blankly at the index page of the book. "Maybe you should try getting some sleep during lunch break."

The purple-haired angel softly shook his head. "Sleeping for just an hour, and then having to wake up again, will only make me feel even more drowsy. I'll be fine once we're really at work." Geez, why wasn't Ruka having this problem? They'd both gone to bed at the same time, but the silver haired angel seemed merely less energetic than normal, but not tired at all. Let alone sleepy.

"Rei?" Shin looked at him a bit impatiently. "Are you done with that index page?"

"Y-yes. Sorry." Quickly, the purple-haired angel went on to the next page. Together, they read for a while, Shin making some remarks about what they should pay attention to and what the best road should be, while Rei wrote which dangers Ruka and Yuda should try to find spells against. Shin already had three papers with possible roads on it, so they could figure out a way with the least threats when they'd have gathered all available information. With some effort, though, Rei did manage to keep up with his pace, to not slow them both down.

"Seems like there is absolutely no safe place at all, there," Shin sighed.

"It's Hell, so that is to be expected." He groaned almost inaudibly when he realized what that meant. "Then we'll have to sit guard again, each night."

"I'm afraid we'll get even less sleep than that," the blue-haired angel replied. "The places we went through during our past quest had their risks. These places will be plain dangerous, wherever we are. There'll have to be at least two of us at guard during each moment of the night, which means we'll have only half as much sleep as last time. There's no way of taking a longer time to rest, since the overall threat is just too urgent."

"Which will only make it more difficult to finish this assignment." Or rather, to not get murdered by demons. But that just sounded to… to scary. If he'd allow himself to think of that, he'd only get even more stressed out about the whole thing. Letting out a somewhat sad sigh, he remembered how happy he had still felt this morning. Why couldn't they just have some weeks of peace? Last night had made him almost forget about having to go through Hell, and that feeling had still been there this morning. Until they'd went on with their research, and all his worries and fears had rose again. How long had it even been since they'd last had weeks of freedom and happiness? That must've been even before their fight against Zeus.

"If we work hard on this research now, the more chance we'll have to succeed," Shin remarked, reminding Rei that this wasn't the right moment to think too much about everything. The purple-haired angel only nodded, quickly trying to concentrate on the book again.

"There are fire dragons there too," he groaned suddenly. "They'll probably have an even worse attitude than that ice dragon we met." The one that had almost made him freeze to death, and on their way back had tried to crush Ruka like he were some kind of bug.

"Well, we know now to wait until it's fully unable to move, before entering its cave," Shin tried to be positive.

"These ones aren't captured in a cave," Rei responded dryly. "They're part of the 'natural' populations of Hell. But at least they're not everywhere. Ruka and Yuda will have to try and find a spell that works quicker than the last one, though. Even if it's less effective, once we're spotted by one we'll have to react quickly."

"Great," Shin mumbled. "There aren't many, if any, spells that work within seconds. Or rather, are possible to cast within seconds."

"Not much of a choice," Rei sighed. "Well, my power of ice could slow it down, but…" Almost embarrassedly, he looked down at the table. "Well, I'd either have to fly backwards to escape safely myself, or I'd have a big chance of ending up like roasted chicken."

To his surprise, but also slight relieve, Shin laughed softly at that. "That would be too ironic, so let's prevent that."

"Yeah." He chuckled. "I do think the dragon would end up worse than me, though, knowing Ruka."

"Well then, let's prevent than for both your and any dragon's sake." Still smiling, the blue-haired angel squeezed his friend's hand for a moment. "And don't look so embarrassed. No one is invincible, and we all know that we'd have to stop you from trying if it could safe our lives."

"Well, one of us is worth less than five."

"The main idea is to all come back safely. Besides, you're my best friend, Ruka's beloved one, and… well… kind of a mommy to all six of us. Always making us dinner, always trying to make us feel better when we're sad or worried about something… and usually worrying way too much."

At that unforeseen compliment, at least he considered it one, Rei felt himself blushing. "T-thanks." Forcing himself to look up at Shin, despite his sudden shyness, he added; "I honestly think all six of us are important to our group. I mean, I couldn't imagine living without you as… almost a brother, or without Gai to cheer us up, or Goh to make sure we'll work good enough as a team. And well… when Ruka and Yuda were banned, it just felt… less worth it to go on. And we definitely were much weaker without them."

"Yuda's healing is indeed indispensable, and he's usually the one that leads our group. Even if he has been rather… preoccupied lately," Shin agreed. "But I hope he'll feel better now, after we talked. And Ruka's flying, and his skills with people are just as important."

"All the more reason to make sure we'll succeed." Letting out a tired sigh, Rei closed his eyes for a moment. "I'd just wish I had gone to bed earlier last night."

"Indeed. But… it was worth it, right?" Shin tried to cheer him up a bit. "How happy you looked this morning was just great to see."

Rei smiled, happily looking at the silver feather on his necklace. "It really was one of the best moments I've ever had, when he gave me this necklace."

"I'd never imagined Ruka being so… romantic," Shin remarked. "I don't mean it as a bad thing, just…" He looked up at Rei unsurely.

"Me neither. He always seems somewhat shy to arrange something." A soft chuckle. "But I wasn't expecting this at all, since he got the idea from television. I don't think I ever saw him watch television for more than a few hours during his whole life."

"Well, he probably saw something like it once, and remembered it until the occasion was right."

"Yeah." A happy sigh. "But I'm really glad that he found a good occasion to give it, before we'll have to go to Hell."

Shin smiled softly, but then glanced at Yuda for a moment. "I know what you mean. Although I'm waiting for Yuda to take something from me."

As in; his virginity, Rei understood.

"That's partially up to you, right? He doesn't have to be the one to start it."

"I know, but I'll probably think too much and do too little, or I'll be clumsy and embarrass us both."

"Like now?" Gai grinned, while quickly dumping some more books onto their table. Both Rei and Shin looked up startled, not even having seen the blonde walking to their table, but Shin quickly averted his gaze towards the table, trying to hide his face behind his bangs. "S-sorry, bad joke," Gai immediately apologized. "Just… you might want to talk more quietly, or the subjects of your conversation will hear it too."

"A-ah." Rei nodded, and Gai walked back to the bookshelves. Shin was still staring at the table, though, trembling slightly. "Hey, you know he didn't mean it in a bad way. It's Gai, he never thinks before he talks."

"I know." He didn't even look up. "Still, feeling like this is exactly what I'm scared of when Yuda and me will… you know what I mean."

"Shin, it'll be all right. I really can't explain it, but trust me, it'll be all right."

Finally, Shin looked up and smiled shyly. "I really hope you're right. I do trust you, I just don't have much self-confidence on this particular matter."

"That's because it'll be your first time. But… maybe we should get back to work, before we'll slow down the others too."

Shin nodded, and looked back at the book they were currently reading. Despite the fact that he seemed reassured, Rei still asked him to help with preparing lunch that afternoon, if only to give him a reason to get away from everyone for a moment to relax a bit. Like he had expected, Shin followed him immediately. "Thanks for asking me. I really didn't think I could've concentrated on work for much longer."

"Yeah, that was noticeable," Rei remarked dryly. Indeed, the blue-haired angel's gaze had drifted more and more frequently towards Yuda, even though he had been trying to hide it. Well, at least no one else besides Rei had seemed to notice it. "Still worrying about it?"

"Yes," Shin admitted reluctantly. "I guess that won't end until… Well, you know."

"Hey, don't stress about it too much, okay?" Rei said softly. "We have to concentrate on work, but after tonight's dinner, you'll have the rest of the night to do anything you want. But worrying won't make time go faster."

"Ironically, I could make time go faster," Shin responded with a soft chuckle.

"And then be passed out for the rest of the night. Wouldn't that be a little bit inconvenient during… certain activities?" Rei grinned.

It earned him another chuckle from his friend. "Well, at least that'd make me more relaxed."

* * *

**I'll update in a week^^**


	13. When you close your eyes

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

After chatting for a bit, both needing to release the tension they'd been feeling, Rei and Shin decided on making some salads for lunch. "There are still some cucumbers, but we'll have to use them now. Otherwise they'll probably walk away be themselves in about a week," Rei remarked, softly squishing one of the green vegetables, to see if it were still eatable. "I think they'll still taste good enough now, though."

"Then they'll just have to do," Shin nodded, searching to the kitchen cabinets for tableware and some bowls to make the salad in. "We still have tomatoes too, right?"

"Yeah, and salad itself, of course. I can make some sauce from mayonnaise, then we only need some cheese and that's all." He looked up at his friend. "Can you cut some cheese into little squares? Then I'll start on the sauce, and we can do the cucumber and tomatoes together."

"Sure," Shin nodded, grabbing a knife. The purple-haired angel dryly took a step back. "Yes, I'll be careful," the other angel grinned, trying in vain to glare. Rei grinned back, and then grabbed another bowl to make the sauce in. It went quickly, and within twenty minutes all eight residents of the house were at the table. Even Gai seemed to like it, though there was no meat involved, and the conversation was relaxed overall. Probably also because Maya and Kira were with them, and shouldn't hear too much about the Saint Beast's assignment, but it was nice to chat randomly nonetheless.

It didn't make Rei feel less sleepy, though, and he couldn't resist the urge to rest his head on Ruka's shoulder for a while, when he was done eating. As presumed, the silver-haired angel didn't mind that in the least, and gently took hold of Rei's hand under the table. The smaller angel saw the slightly grossed-out glare Kira gave them, but decided that for once, he wouldn't let the annoying blonde get the better of him. If Kira wanted to stare at him like that, then it was the blonde's problem. Ruka, as usual, didn't even notice it at all, or at least pretended not to, and just kept chatting with the others.

"Shall Rei and I clean this up first, and then rejoin you?" Shin suggested, after lunch. No one disagreed, and ten minutes later the two friends resumed their work, trying to get back at schedule. Rei feeling tired and Shin being somewhat preoccupied, that prove to be quite hard, but after some hours of work they had actually managed to end up a little ahead of their friends.

"So, any ideas on what to make for dinner?" Shin asked, walking down the hallway again with his friend. Rei turned his head and started to reply, but interrupted himself with a wide yawn, unintentionally giving his friend a good view at his white teeth. Laughing softly, he patted Rei's shoulder. "You'd better go to bed early tonight."

"Mmh… yeah. Probably," Rei admitted, smiling sheepishly and rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Anyhow, I was thinking of making hamburgers again. It's easy and quick, and it doesn't require for me to be fully awake."

"Which would be nice indeed," Shin nodded.

Indeed, hamburgers were made without any accidents, though Rei noticed Shin getting more and more tense as time passed. He nearly jumped when Yuda suddenly stepped into the kitchen. "Sorry," the red-haired angel apologized surprised.

"I shouldn't have been startled, sorry," Shin immediately responded, quickly kissing his beloved one before the others walked in too. The sudden blush on Yuda's cheeks told enough, though, considering Ruka's barely hidden chuckle when he walked in.

Seeing how nervous and self-conscious his friend felt, Rei took a deep breath and, without warning, grabbed Ruka's collar to drag him down into a kiss. The silver-haired angel nearly stumbled, but didn't pull back until after a moment. "Hello to you too."

The smaller angel smiled shyly, partially regretting what he'd just done. But it had worked, no one made any remarks about Shin and Yuda, and neither about Rei and Ruka. They evidently were already used to the latter kissing anyway. "Yay, hamburgers!" was the only comment made, by Gai of course.

"Sorry it's not anything original, but this was the quickest thing I could think of that weren't pancakes," Rei apologized anyway.

"It's okay, you're busy enough as it is," Yuda replied with a reassuring smile. "At least you always take the effort of preparing dinner, so the rest of us don't need to worry about it."

"Well, that's because I love to cook," Rei quickly mumbled, blushing a bit. Ruka grinned softly and petted his angel's hair. "And Shin usually helps too."

"Stop dragging yourself down, every time someone says something positive," Goh remarked. "Nothing forces you to make dinner for all of us, so it's a great help that you it anyway."

"T-thanks," the purple-haired angel smiled, his cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red. "B-but let's just eat now, okay?"

The mood during dinner, also due to Rei's response to the compliment, was relaxed and even pleasant. Shin and Rei chatted about music for a while, Yuda Goh and Ruka about fighting techniques, and Maya and Gai about television shows while practically forcing Kira to chat along. After dinner, Rei quickly pushed Shin to Yuda and dragged Ruka along to help cleaning up. After that, Gai and Maya went to watch television, Kira deciding to tag along, and Goh got dragged along by Gai.

"Did you have any plans for tonight?" Ruka asked, while putting the last plate back in one of the cabinets.

"Sleeping," Rei replied dryly. "And what about you?"

"I was planning on volunteering to be your pillow," Ruka grinned softly. "You're adorable when you're sleeping."

Noticing the faint tension in his beloved one's eyes, Rei took his hand. "You can always hold me, whenever you want to." His angel smiled gratefully, then suddenly wrapped his arms around the smaller angel tightly. "R-Ruka?"

"It'll only be another day or two before we're ready to leave for Hell," the silver-haired angel mumbled. "I'd honestly wish that every single moment before that, could last forever."

"I know you're scared. I know I can't take away all your fears." Calmly, the purple-haired angel looked up at the taller angel. "But you'll always have one truth to believe in. I'll always love you, and I'll never turn away from you if you want to be held or talk or anything. Okay?"

"I love you," Ruka mumbled, before kissing him gently. Just as gently, Rei returned that kiss, before stepping back and yawning. "We'd better go to your bedroom."

"Mmh… Indeed." Letting out a sigh, the smaller angel turned around and started walking out of the kitchen, Ruka following him. "And by the way, it's not my bedroom anymore. It's our bedroom."

At that, Ruka had to force himself not to hug Rei again. Those little things, those seemingly meaningless little things, were just what made him feel so happy and so incredibly grateful. Because when Rei said it, it wasn't just for fun, not just to be nice or to make him feel better. The purple-haired angel only said such things, if he actually meant it. Honestly felt like it was a fact. Sure, they'd both been sleeping in that room ever since Ruka and Yuda came back from Hell, but it'd never been 'official', or anything.

It wasn't just that Rei was happy with even the smallest things. The purple-haired angel had the ability to make others feel the same.

"Can I brush your hair?" Ruka asked. To his own surprise, he didn't even feel self-conscious about asking that. It did make Rei blush, though, but the smaller angel nodded immediately. At that, the silver-haired angel smiled softly, before tenderly wrapping an arm around Rei's slender shoulders. "You're beautiful."

"T-thanks…" Rei mumbled shyly. "But… you're even more beautiful. In a strong, somewhat rough way. I'm too feminine."

"Yes, but that delicacy is one of the many things that I love about you," his angel responded.

"The same goes for your strength."

"But… I'm not strong at all. Not like you," Ruka mumbled, hinting at their somewhat tense conversation, the night before last night. The same night that the silver-haired angel had sliced open his own hand, by hitting a mirror to pieces.

"You are. And physically, you have enough muscles to look extremely… good." Rei blushed again. "Well, you should understand what I mean."

"I do," Ruka nodded, smiling faintly. "Still, I'd wish I was stronger mentally. Then maybe I wouldn't have had to nearly kill you, before finally remembering how much I love you."

"Ruka." His voice a bit monotone suddenly, Rei looked up at him, some hurt showing in his eyes. "I've told you multiple times that I don't blame you for that. Don't you believe me enough to stop blaming yourself?"

"Believing you isn't the problem at all, I'll never ever doubt you." The taller angel let out a sigh. "Forgiving myself is just difficult. Because… I'd never had believed before all that, that I'd even be capable of hurting you in any way." Let alone nearly killing him. Rei's amazing, dark golden eyes turned a bit sad at that. "You shouldn't worry about it. All that matters to me is that I haven't lost your love by anything I did." Finally, Rei smiled at him, a hint of worry in his eyes, but apparently reassured enough to smile.

"Shall we get into our nightwear first?" Rei suggested, while already taking off his shirt.

"Even though I wouldn't object if you'd only take off your daytime clothes, that seems like a good idea," Ruka grinned, quickly ducking to avoid the shirt being thrown at his head. "It was meant as a compliment!" Rei only pretended to glare at him, unable to suppress a soft laugh. Within some minutes, they both were in their nightwear, Rei in a thin robe, Ruka in a thin pair of shorts and an equally thin shirt. Waiting for Rei to sit down onto the bed, the taller angel picked up his angel's hairbrush. "I'll be careful."

"You always are," Rei smiled, sitting down in the middle of the bed, so his beloved one could sit behind him. "Still, it always surprised me that someone like you likes to do things such as brushing another person's hair."

"It's only your hair that I can brush without feeling embarrassed. Well, apart from my own hair, of course," Ruka admitted. "But… how do you mean 'someone like me'? I hope I don't seem that rough."

"No, but you so seem somewhat… inapproachable, usually. Not unfriendly, just like you're not the type to be physically close to other people." Rei clearly tried to explain what he meant, without unintentionally hurting Ruka's feelings. "A bit closed-off, I think."

"Despite how I might seem, it's usually just feeling unsure, that makes me act that way," Ruka responded quietly. "When I'm alone, or at least independent of others, I know how to act. But if people get close, I just get unsure about how to socialize with them. So I act like I'm completely self-assured, so they won't notice that I'm actually worrying about doing something weird."

"And then they become friends, and it turns out that the only thing weird would be to be normal," the silver-haired angel responded dryly.

"Exactly," Ruka chuckled. For some moments, he kept on brushing Rei's hair, until there wasn't a tangle left. "Your hair's done."

"Okay, thanks…" It ended in a wide yawn. "Mmh… can you turn off the lights? I think I'll fall asleep standing if I try to walk now."

Ruka smiled softly, before kissing his beloved one. "Don't fall asleep until I'm holding you." Quickly, he went to turn off the lights, while Rei watched him sleepily, leaning on his elbows to stay up a bit. As soon as the taller angel walked back, though, the purple-haired beauty crawled underneath the sheets and allowed his beloved one to get beside him and wrap his arms around him. "Sleep well," Ruka whispered in Rei's ear, earning a content sigh from the smaller angel.

"You too." His eyes already half-closed, Rei looked up at him. "And if you do get a nightmare or anything, please wake me. Don't force yourself to get through it alone. Okay?"

A faint smile. "Okay." It wasn't a full lie. If he'd really feel as awful as he had some nights ago, he would definitely wake his beloved one. But as long as he didn't have to fear for himself, as long as he could just calm himself down and go back to sleep, he wouldn't even think of disturbing his angel's sleep. After all, Rei looked like he could use some rest, after last night. Tenderly, he kissed his angel again, and to his surprise Rei actually lifted his head to kiss him back. Like expected, though, the purple-haired angel drifted off before even pulling away, his lips still faintly touching Ruka's.

Letting out a sigh, the taller angel wrapped his arms around Rei's slender body a bit tighter, pulling him closely against himself. Again, as he had done so many times during the past few days, he almost wished that tonight would last forever. If only it'd never be tomorrow. If only they'd never have to go to Hell. Then he wouldn't have to face that place again. That place where he and Yuda had been trapped. That place where he'd lost all hope of ever seeing Rei again. Where he'd almost lost himself.

It was a raw and bitter comfort that Yuda was facing the exact same thing. Still, this wasn't something they could help each other with. They'd gone down together, but Rei and Shin were the only ones that could have saved them. Now, Rei and Shin were the only ones who would be able to get Yuda and Ruka through that place again, saving them from the haunting memories. The fact that those two had such a responsibility placed upon them, made him feel more guilty than he'd ever admit out loud.

Rei thought of him as overly protective, sometimes. That Ruka thought of him as weak. Honestly, Ruka could only wish he was even half as strong as he wanted to be for Rei. Maybe then he'd be able to face the traumas of the past without the need to lean on his beloved one so much. So he wouldn't be such a burden to Rei. Sure, the purple-haired angel would never see him as a burden, but Ruka did feel like one. If he could just get past that trauma, just get over it, then Rei wouldn't have any need to worry about him. The assignment itself would still be incredibly dangerous, but the added danger of Ruka and Yuda being unable to fully face their past could be the one thing that could make them fail. And failing on an assignment like this, would mean a certain death.

Suddenly, as if he'd felt Ruka's stress and worries, Rei mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep and snuggled closely against the taller angel. Right, he should be sleeping too. Forcing himself to stop worrying, Ruka closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. Which proved to be harder than expected. Even though he could stop himself from worrying consciously, he couldn't fight off the uneasy feeling that had settled in his mind. Geez, at this rate he'd be exhausted tomorrow.

Sighing shakily, he reopened his eyes and looked at his beloved one. Even in the darkness of the winter's evening, autumn was officially over now, he could just see Rei's face with some effort. The faint moonlight made him look like some painting of shadows, mysterious and beautiful. That thick, purple hair possessed a silk-like shine, just as his equally thick eyelashes. His soft lips were parted slightly, as he breathed evenly through his mouth. Watching his beloved one sleep peacefully, finally allowed Ruka's mind to stop stressing, concentrating fully on this comforting view. When Rei sighed deeply, stirring a bit until he laid fully stretched out on his side, arms folded against Ruka's chest, the silver-haired angel couldn't help but to smile. Honestly, he still wondered sometimes how he had ever found someone as sweet and perfect as Rei.

"Mmh… Ruka…" Suddenly, the smaller angel grabbed the front of Ruka's shirt. Tenderly, the other angel stroke Rei's back, hoping to comfort him. Luckily, the purple-haired angel indeed relaxed again, apparently only needing to unconsciously feel the presence of his beloved one. "Ruka…" Smiling faintly in his sleep, Rei moved a bit to rest his head against the side of Ruka's neck. "Love… you."

"I love you too, my angel," Ruka whispered back, making sure not to wake his beloved one. "Just stay asleep, you need it." Tomorrow, after all, research would have to be finished. With Rei breathing warmly against his skin, Ruka finally started to relax, and after nearly half an hour, finally fell asleep.

* * *

**They'll be out in the field (…sort of…) soon. Finally… XD**

**I'll update next week^^**


	14. Inadvertently amazing

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Warning: yaoi  
Remember the little something that Shin and Yuda still have to do? ;)**

* * *

Almost longingly, Shin watched Rei and Ruka leave the room, after dinner. Even though he was feeling kind of impatient for what he and Yuda were going to do this evening, now that the moment came so close, he couldn't help but to get nervous, nearly wishing they could just go to sleep and not do anything else. Still, he knew it was only the fear of making himself look like an idiot, the fear of doing something entirely new to both him and his beloved one. Honestly, not often had he been so sure of something, as he was of the fact that he did want this so badly.

"Y-Yuda?" he mumbled softly, unable to force himself to look up at the red-haired angel. "S-shall we go to my room?"

"Eh? O-okay," the other angel stammered, sounding just as nervous as Shin felt. "Um… Are you sure that you're… up to it?" His voice trailed off at the end of that question, desperately trying not to let their friends notice anything.

The illusion that they indeed didn't notice, was quickly crushed when Goh remarked dryly; "Don't forget to lock your door." With that, the brunette angel left the dining room, following after Gai and the two half-angels. Both Shin and Yuda kept looking at the doorway somewhat shocked for a moment, until the blue-haired angel tenderly took the taller angel's hand and looked up at him. Those beautiful, bright golden eyes were far from their usual calmness, but didn't held any doubt, to Yuda's relieve.

"Let's go, then," Shin said softly, but didn't actually move until Yuda gently led him out of the dining room, up the stairs, and to their bedroom.

Once there, they both looked at each other sheepishly, neither of them sure of what to do next. Should they just undress? Or kiss first? With some horror, Yuda realized that he'd never been as unsure as he felt right now. "A-are you really sure?" he asked softly, caressing Shin's cheek tenderly.

"I'm sure." Letting out a somewhat shaky sigh, Shin leaned into the touch. "R-Rei told be enough not to be really scared, but… please don't rush."

"I won't, I promise." His hands trembling a bit, to his own embarrassment, he pulled his beloved one into his arms and kissed him. Although his breath hitched audibly, the smaller angel didn't hesitate to respond, his tongue quickly finding its way into Yuda's mouth. "Mmh…" No doubt left that the blue-haired beauty truly was ready for this, Yuda led him to the bed without breaking their kiss. It wasn't Shin tripped backwards, both of them ending up lying on the bed's covers, that their lips left each other's.

"Y-Yuda…" Breathing heavily to regain some oxygen, Shin caressed the taller angel's back. "D-did you lock the door?"

"Wha… Y-yeah, right after we walked in," Yuda responded, somewhat shocked by that unexpected question. "Geez… why did that even come up in your mind at this moment?"

"S-sorry…" Shin mumbled, looking away. "I'm sorry…"

"Hey, it doesn't really matter," Yuda quickly responded. Had he accidentally hit a sore spot with his remark? He hadn't meant to, obviously. "Shin, don't look so embarrassed." Since his beloved one didn't respond to what he said, he decided to just kiss him again, tenderly licking the golden-eyes angel's lips to ask for entrance. Despite his flustered look, Shin immediately complied, allowing Yuda to take control of their kiss. When the red-haired angel carefully started to undress him, the smaller angel moaned breathlessly.

Letting out another moan, the blue-haired angel started undoing the taller angel's clothing, so concentrated on their kiss that he just seemed to act purely on instinct, not even noticing himself what he did. "Mmh… L-love you…" he managed to mumble into the kiss. Not possessing that same ability to speak with his lips pressed against another pair, Yuda instead caressed the smooth skin on Shin's chest and lower body, hoping to get the message through. Apparently, he did, since the smaller angel let out yet another moan and pulled off Yuda's shirt entirely.

Within moments, somehow managing not to break their kiss, they had carelessly dumped their clothes on the floor, eager to touch each other's bare skin. Taking in a sharp breath, Shin finally broke their kiss. "Ah… Y-Yuda…" Almost scared suddenly, those golden eyes looked up at him. "B-be careful… please." With that plea, the smaller angel turned onto his stomach, practically offering his body to his beloved one.

"Shin… before we go any further…" Tenderly, he brushed some strands of hair out of his beloved one's beautiful face. "I need to know that you trust me."

"I do. I'll always trust you," Shin replied, without any reserve.

Yuda smiled nervously but happy. "Please don't hesitate to say so if I accidentally hurt you."

"O-okay." Letting out a deep sigh, Shin forced his body to relax. Even though he could barely keep still, felt so eager to get as closely against Yuda as he could, he knew it'd only hurt more if his muscles would be tense. When he felt Yuda starting to prepare him, though, he still couldn't suppress a gasp. Immediately, the red-haired angel stopped. "I-I'm fine… Go on." Even more careful than before, his beloved one went on. Finally, just when Shin felt sure that he wouldn't be able to wait for much longer, Yuda kissed the back of his neck, and then whispered; "Are you ready?" Shin merely managed to nod.

"N-ngg!" It hurt. Oh, it did hurt. But at the same time, it somehow felt so amazingly good. "Ah…" Moaning a bit louder than he would have liked, he pressed his back against his beloved one's chest. "M-move…"

"O-okay." Noticeably afraid of hurting Shin, Yuda moved a bit. When the smaller angel didn't show any signs of pain, only moaned contently, the red-haired angel dared to move a bit more. "Y-you still… okay?"

"Mmh… Yeah… ah…" Unable to keep still any longer, he folded his legs backwards around Yuda's. In response, the red-haired angel moved a bit faster, pushing his hands below Shin's body to make their sensations more equal. Feeling Yuda rubbing that one spot, the smaller angel moaned again, feeling pressure building in his lower body. When he heard his beloved once moaning his name, that was enough to push him over the edge, and his body jerked as he came. Inside him, he felt Yuda coming too, making the feeling even more incredible.

"S-Shin?" Yuda whispered in his ear, some moments later, when both of them had collapsed exhaustedly. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. Are you okay too?" His back would probably be pretty sore tomorrow, as would certain other parts, but right now he felt amazing. Tired, but truly amazing.

"I'm fine too. Eh… this might hurt a bit…" Carefully, he pulled out, causing Shin to wince in pain. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Letting out a deep, though somewhat shaky sigh, the blue-haired angel sat up slowly. "We should clean up and take a shower. And then it'd probably be a good idea to go to sleep early tonight."

"Not that early. We spend more time than it felt like, on doing… what we just did." Slowly, Yuda sat up and then wrapped his arms around the other angel's slender shoulders. "Mmh… I love you so much."

"I love you too. And… 'it' felt so incredibly good." Relaxing in his angel's strong arms, Shin closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm so glad that we did it."

"Me too," Yuda nodded. "I was so worried that I'd hurt you. But it turned out to feel way better than I ever expected it too." A slightly airless chuckle. "I'd just wish it would leave such a mess on the bed's sheets." A tired smile graced Shin's lips for a moment, until he forced himself to get out of Yuda's embrace to stand up. "Shin, maybe you'd better go shower first, then I'll clean up the bed."

"But…" A gasp made him interrupt himself, when he felt a sudden pain shooting up his back. "Ouch… M-maybe you're right…" he admitted sheepishly. "I'll try to hurry, though."

"Don't. Just take your time, and don't move around more than necessary," Yuda replied worriedly. "Are you sure you're not injured?"

"I'm sure. It's just that the muscled in that area ache, but that'll get better with some rest." Carefully, he leaned down to kiss his beloved one. "Don't worry, Yuda. I feel amazing. You make me feel amazing."

Nearly half an hour later he still felt that way. Physically, he felt even better than earlier, the soreness of his muscles being eased by the warm shower, and now being kept warm by a thick blanket. Lying comfortably on his side, not too eager to be laying on his back right now, he watched his beloved one switching off the lights before walking to the bed. The mattress wobbled a bit when Yuda laid down, but it didn't bother the smaller angel's back. "Shin? Can I hold you?" Concern showing in those beautiful aqua eyes, Yuda looked at him.

"You're not allowed not to," Shin grinned tiredly, carefully moving closer to his beloved one. "I'm not made of glass, I'll be fine. Just be gentle, like you always are."

Letting out a content sigh, Yuda wrapped his arms around the smaller angel's body, pulling him close. "Sleep well, my beloved one," he whispered in Shin's ear, before tracing his angel's cheekbone with soft kisses and then moving to his mouth to give him one final goodnight-kiss. His eyes already closed Shin mumbled 'goodnight' and buried his face against Yuda's collarbone, falling asleep instantly. For a while, Yuda just watched him in silence. The moon lit up the room just enough to see Shin's beautiful form, and even though the angel's face was hidden, he looked undoubtedly beautiful.

The entire day he'd been worrying about making love with Shin, feeling so terrified of hurting the smaller angel in any way. It wasn't until now, really, that he could finally feel relieved. Now that he felt his angel's body relaxed like this, sleeping so peacefully in his arms. Now he felt Shin's soft, even breaths against his skin, he truly knew for sure that his beloved one was all right. "I love you," he sighed almost inaudibly. "Shin…" A faint but happy smile still gracing his face, Yuda slowly drifted off to sleep.

Slowly, Rei became aware of being held by two strong arms, something warm and heavy lying half on top of him. "Ruka?" he sighed softly, not getting any response. Opening his eyes reluctantly, he blinked a few times. Still dark? It must be early, too early to get up yet. At least there was just enough light to see his beloved one sleeping deeply, laying half on Rei's chest. Seems like the silver-haired angel had unconsciously gotten back to that habit, Rei realized amused. Not that he minded it, the constant source of heat was pretty nice.

Yawning, he stretched his neck a bit, trying to get a good view at the small clock on the nightstand. Somewhere around four o'clock, he saw. Too early to go make breakfast already. Besides, he didn't really have any objections against the three hours of sleep he had left before they all would have to get up. If only he didn't needed to go to the toilet so badly.

"Ruka? Hey, Ruka!" Feeling a bit guilty about waking his beloved one, but knowing he'd never be able to get out of his angel's hold without waking him, Rei shook at the taller angel's shoulders. "Ruka!"

"Eh?" A bit startled, the taller angel opened his eyes. "Rei? Are you all right?"

"I have to go to the toilet, but you're… kind of trapping me." He chuckled softly at Ruka's sudden realization of their positions. "Don't worry, you're a great blanket."

"S-sorry," Ruka smiled sheepishly. "Geez, I haven't done this since we came back from our quest."

"That makes sense," Rei responded, while his beloved one rolled off him. "I got that fever, so I guess that even in sleep, you were too worried of not being gentle enough with me." A faint red color rose on his cheeks. "But… I do truly like waking up like this. It makes me feel safe, and I know you're with me without having to turn to see you."

"That's good, then. Especially since I'd have no idea how to stop myself from being unconsciously overprotective," Ruka admitted. "So… weren't you planning on going to the toilet? I'll keep the bed warmed up for you."

Rei grinned, and then quickly stood up, shivering a bit of the sudden feeling of cold air against his skin. "I'll be right back." As quickly as he could without making too much noise, he ran to the nearest toilet and did his business there. Usually, he went before going to bed, to avoid having to get up during the night, but he'd just been so tired last evening. Still, now that he was out of bed anyway, he wondered if Shin would get angry if he'd wake him at four in the morning, to ask how his evening had been. Honestly, Rei was pretty curious.

At least he knew already that things had gone well enough, since his friend hadn't come to his room last night to seek comfort. Allowing his curiosity to get the better off him, he walked to Shin's room and listened at the door. No sound came through, so the two angels inside the room were probably asleep. Carefully, he tried to open the door, and was surprised to find it unlocked. Surely Shin had remembered to lock it last evening, before 'doing' anything? Knowing his friend, there was no way that he could have just forgotten.

"Rei?" Suddenly, the door opened and Shin pulled him inside. "I hoped you'd come. I've been awake for half an hour already, but I just can't sleep on without talking to you first." The blue-haired angel obviously tried hard to keep his voice down, but his happiness was still clearly audible. "I still can't believe that Yuda and me… That we really did 'it'!"

Recovering quickly from the surprise of being dragged into the room, Rei grinned. "So I assume it was good?"

"Yes, it was. He was so gentle, just a bit too careful, and I felt so unsure, but in the end it just went perfectly." Without any warning, Shin suddenly hugged him. "Thank you so much. If you wouldn't have talked to me, and forced me to talk to Yuda, neither him or me would ever have had the courage to take the step."

"I-it just would have taken a lot more time, I think," Rei responded shyly.

"Rei, like Goh told you yesterday, learn to take a compliment or a 'thank you'. You really don't give yourself enough credit." A bright smile still on his face, and his light golden eyes almost sparkling with happiness, Shin looked at him. So different from last morning, when he'd been crying in Rei's arms. Well, it was partly because that happened, that Rei had made Shin and Yuda have a good talk, so it probably had been for the best. Still, he liked it much better to see his friend smiling like this. "Rei?"

Realizing he'd been staring at his friend in silence, the purple-haired angel felt his cheeks heating up. "S-sorry. I was just thinking… I'm so glad that you're happy." Smiling softly, he wrapped his arms around Shin. "It felt horrible yesterday, when you were crying. I'm so glad that things turned out good so quickly."

"Like I said, that is thanks to you. And don't drag yourself down, just be proud at yourself for once. You really are the best friend I could ever have."

"You're the same to me," Rei replied softly. "I guess we just fit each other."

"Me thinking too much and acting on instinct too little, and you're the opposite," Shin agreed, chuckling. Rei grinned too, and then felt his friend letting out a yawn. "I guess we'd better get back to sleep now, though. It's probably around a quarter passed four already, and we have a full day of work tomorrow… Eh, today."

Rei nodded in agreement. "And I should hurry, Ruka is waiting for me. He must be wondering by now if I haven't been eaten by the toilet." Shin laughed softly at that, while they both stood up. "Well, see you in a few hours."

"Yeah," Shin nodded. As quietly as possible, the two angels both walked back to their own bed, Rei quickly walking down the hallway to his room. Back there, he practically dove into the bed, crawling underneath the warm covers, and nearly pushing Ruka to the floor.

"Was it that cold in the hallways?" the silver-haired angel chuckled, allowing his beloved one to snuggle closely against him.

"Yeah. And I went to talk to Shin too."

"At this hour?"

"I listened at his door to hear if they were sleeping, but he turned out to be awake too. They did it, and he's really happy about it," Rei told his angel. "I'm so glad for him. For them both."

Ruka chuckled softly. "I'm sure Yuda won't let him out of his sight today, though. After we did it the first time, I was so scared that you were hurt but hiding it."

"And then I got that fever," Rei mumbled guiltily. "Even though that didn't have anything to do with what we did that evening, I could see that you felt somewhat responsible."

"Which is only natural. I mean, we had done it for the first time, so when you collapsed the next day, I couldn't help to feel that us doing 'it' had been the thing to push you too far." Rei opened his mouth to protest, but his angel cut him off by adding; "I know now that you hadn't felt good since days before that."

"Indeed. And for the record, I wouldn't have wanted to miss that first time. Not for anything." Relaxing comfortably against Ruka, Rei closed his eyes. "But let's get a few more hours of sleep now, okay? If we can work at our hardest today, then we'll probably be ready to go tomorrow. The sooner we can start, the sooner we'll be done." He felt his beloved one tensing up a bit, obviously not too eager on going back to Hell so soon. "The longer we'll have to do our research, the more time you'll have to get stressed out about it," the smaller angel remarked softly. "Once we're in there, you'll have much less time to worry. And don't doubt if we'll get out alive, because we will. No matter what, we will."

Ruka only nodded, holding his beloved one tightly against himself. Within minutes, Rei felt that his angel had drifted off to sleep again. Letting out a relieved sigh, he forced himself to stop worrying too. Around seven in the morning, they woke again, almost at the same time. "Mmh… Don't wanna get out of bed," Ruka groaned, burying his face in Rei's soft hair. "It's too nice to lay here like this."

"Even in Hell, we'll be able to sleep in each other's warmth. Actually, it might be best for safety reasons too," the purple-haired angel remarked. "Either way, it's not like we have another choice, but to get out of bed now."

"I guess you're right," his angel sighed, reluctantly sitting up. Rei got up too, smiling softly at Ruka's child-like behavior. "What?"

"You're acting like a kid who doesn't want to get up for school." Quickly, the smaller angel jumped off the bed, to avoid the pillow that was being flung towards his head. "A grumpy kid!" At that, Ruka just stuck out his tongue. Just when Rei turned around to get his clothes, thinking the joke was over, Ruka suddenly grabbed him by the waist and pulled him back down. "What… R-Ruka!" The rest of his complaints were drowned by somewhat breathless chuckles, as Ruka tickled him mercilessly. "S-stop!"

"Who's childish now?" Ruka grinned, finally letting his angel go.

"Geez, you're the one who pulled my down!" Trying hard to act haughty, Rei stood up, but couldn't wipe the grin off his face. "Be warned, I'll get my revenge someday."

"I can barely wait," Ruka chuckled, standing up too. Within some minutes, they both were dressed and ready for another day at work. Well… at least dressed. Rei honestly didn't feel like work today, he'd much rather just have some fun with Ruka before they'd have to go. His angel had been so tense and almost depressed since they'd been told they'd have to go on an assignment to Hell, but just now he'd seemed so careless and happy for a moment. Rei wanted so much for his beloved one to be happy all the time, but he knew that'd be impossible until they'd defeated the upper-class demons. Until he wouldn't have to relive his memories again.

"Rei? Is something wrong?"

"N-no." Without any warning, he threw his arms around the silver-haired angel. "I just realized how much I love to see you smile."

"Rei…" Ruka smiled lovingly at him. "Those remarks of you are all you need to see me smile."

Smiling happily, Rei pulled his beloved one closer and gave him a kiss. "Then I'm really glad about that."

* * *

**Finally, they're almost at the point that they can leave for Hell XD**

**I'll update again next week^^**


	15. Going down

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Now (as I write this while starting on the 15****th**** chapter) I've finally finished the plot… Lots of sadism lies ahead… *evil laugh*  
I even found a full map of Hell, which helps a lot.**

**This chapter, though, will be kind of tame, as they're just leaving yet ^^; **

* * *

Holding hands, Ruka and Rei walked through the hallway to the kitchen. All was still silent in the house, and as expected, the kitchen was still abandoned. "Seems like we'll have to make breakfast," Rei remarked brightly. "Shall we make pancakes? Or grilled cheese?"

"I'd rather have grilled cheese, since that's more nutritious," Ruka replied. "But it's your choice."

"You're right," Rei nodded, grabbing some cheese and bread. "How much do you think we'll need?"

"Let's just make a lot, whatever's left can be saved for lunch."

Some minutes later, that prove to have been a good idea. Knowing that this'd be their last day of doing research, everyone seemed to want to be in the best possible shape for today. Though Rei had a feeling that Shin and Yuda might just be hungry from their… exercise of last evening. Either way, Shin's mood was obviously great this morning, despite his obvious discomfort when sitting down on a kitchen chair for breakfast. He did grin, though, when Rei chuckled softly while remembering how he had felt after his and Ruka's first time. Well, that might have been a bit different due to the fact that he had fallen ill the day after, but still. Besides, if the blue-haired angel could grin about it, it probably wasn't any serious pain.

"So, how are you feeling after walking around a bit?" Rei whispered discretely, when everyone had started eating.

Shin almost choked in a piece of grilled cheese, causing Yuda to give him a worried glance. "Well… just a bit sore, I guess," he replied after a moment of catching his breath, his cheeks a bit reddened.

"Good." A faintly amused smile on his face, the purple-haired angel continued eating, deciding to not startle his friend with any more questions. Honestly, he had only asked it out of worry. They'd have to sit in the library all day long, so if the blue-haired angel's behind would really hurt, it would make today horrible for him. Another important thing was, that they could be done after today, and it wouldn't help if Shin would get distracted. Even though Rei worked as hard as he could, like they all did, it was a fact that Shin was best at research, being the smartest person Rei had ever met.

Indeed, the blue-haired angel didn't seemed bothered by anything at all, immediately concentrating on work as soon as they entered the library. Rei did the same, not wanting to cause Shin to do more work than him. The books were as boring as ever, in his opinion at least, but the fact that they were almost done made it a lot easier to make himself pay attention to every single detail. These were the books that should lead them through the hardest part of their journey, through the inner circles of Hell. One tiny mistake, any small forgetfulness, could be fatal at that point, and if that failure were to be made during research, they'd be doomed before they'd even start.

"Shin?" Rei asked in a whisper, stuck on a line in what should be the oldest book in their library. His friend looked up at him immediately, before those bright golden eyes averted their direction towards the old book. "I kinda… don't understand a word of that paragraph." Feeling his cheeks heating up a bit in embarrassment, he looked down. "Would you mind helping me?"

"Sure," the blue-haired angel replied friendly. "And don't feel embarrassed, it's only logical that you wouldn't understand all of this book. It's… Well, it's actually the only book from this library that isn't from either Heaven or Earth. I once found it in an old bookstore, and just… felt a strange aura from it. It's one of the few existing books that were written by demons."

Rei's eyes widened. "You mean… it's from Hell itself?"

"Yes, and most parts are in some satanic writing. I never really figured out what it said, but I'm almost sure that it holds useful information."

"Well, I'm sure you understand more of it than I do," the purple-haired angel remarked, tilting his head a bit to the side like that would make the strange letters more understandable.

"I was actually hoping…" A sigh. "But I don't want to ask that of them." Rei looked at him questioningly. "Maybe Yuda and Ruka would be able to understand it. At least for a bit," Shin explained softly. "But whenever they're forced to even think about their time in Hell, they both look so lost and traumatized. I'd feel to guilty to ask them to try and translate it."

"But the knowledge of this book might safe our lives sooner or later."

"I know."

"Why don't we ask it together? And help them with it? That might make it easier on them," Rei suggested. "There isn't much of a choice. Despite how much we love them, we can't risk all our lives on it." That didn't make him feel any better about having to ask this of his beloved one and one of his best friends, but for once he knew he was right for sure.

Shin only nodded. After a short silence, he said; "Then let's look through all the other books first, and save this one for last."

"Okay," Rei agreed. Indeed, the two other angel wouldn't be able to concentrate on the other books after this one, and they couldn't afford to lose any time.

In the end, it wasn't until that evening when Shin and Rei finally told Ruka and Yuda about the book. "It's written in a demonic language, we can't read it. But… since you've been allies with the demons…" Rei couldn't help but to wince at the hurt looks on Ruka and Yuda's faces when Shin said that. "We were hoping that maybe you two could try to translate it. It might hold valuable information. S-sorry to ask this of you." Shin looked at the floor guiltily.

"That's all right," Yuda replied with a forced smile. "We'll try. Right, Ruka?" The silver-haired angel nodded mutedly.

"We'll try to help where we can," Rei said, grabbing Ruka's hand. "That's another reason why we waited until now to ask this." So it wouldn't slow down their part of the research. Ruka smiled at him softly, squeezing his hand, succeeding on bringing a small smile on the smaller angel's face. "Don't force yourself into too much memories, okay?" he asked softly, directed at both Ruka and Yuda. Both the angels exchanged a somewhat hopeless look, making Rei know that it was impossible for them to ever fully ban those horrible memories, without banning a part of themselves again.

"Come sit here, then we'll see how far we can get," Yuda said softly, and Shin and Rei sat down next to their respective beloved ones. At the sight of the satanic writing, Rei felt Ruka tensing up a bit. "This… I think we'll be able to figure out at least part of it," Yuda remarked.

"Can you search for the most important parts?" Shin asked. Both Ruka and Yuda leaned over the book, reading through it slowly, obviously having to make an effort to understand what the writing said. The looks on their faces became more and more worried, though, making Rei reluctant to hear what they'd figured out. After some tense minutes, the two taller angels finally closed the book and looked at each other for a moment. Then, they both averted their gaze to the book, almost wearily.

"It holds some spells that only demons can use. We already have multiple spells that can counter those. It also gave a… detailed description of some of the highest class demons in whole Hell, and their… hobbies." Yuda's usually strong voice trembled slightly at that last part.

"They seem to love to torture anyone who comes down there. Souls of doomed humans, or even angels like us. Me and Yuda were locked up far enough from the demon-filled part, in complete solitude, so we never encountered that kind. But this time, we'll pass right through the territories of those worse ones. There's no other way." His crimson eyes darkened by pure fear, he looked up at Rei. "No matter what, we are going to get hurt, whether it's mental or physical. They're too strong, and there are too many of them to not encounter even one."

"But if we'll stick together, we can defeat them, right?" Goh joined their conversation, him and Gai having sat down with the other four angels just a moment ago. Even the small blonde was completely serious for once, sitting noticeably close to the brunette.

"We can, but chances are that they'll manage to separate us. Lower class demons might be just ugly and dumb, the highest class ones are smarter than you'd ever expect. Apart from that, the lower class one will do anything to be in good grace with them, after all it's to eat or being eaten down there. They won't fight alone, and they won't fight fair," Yuda explained. "We can defeat them, surely. But we'll have to give it our best, and we have to be prepared to get hurt, and to see each other get hurt. If we let ourselves be too preoccupied by a fallen friend, it'll mean our death as good as surely."

None of the six Saint Beasts liked that, but it was undeniably a fact. It would go against all their natural instincts not to make the safety of an injured comrade their highest priority, but doing so could kill them all. Therefore, they wouldn't have a choice, no matter how hard it would be.

"I'll add it up in our schedule," Shin simply said. "Rei, could you make dinner together with someone? Then the rest can help with the schedule in the meantime."

It was already that late? At the thought of food, his stomach made a rather embarrassing growl, and he felt his cheeks heating up. "All right."

"If it's okay with Ruka, I'm willing to help with cooking," Gai offered, getting some surprised looks. "What? I've never been one for planning things, and Ruka and Yuda know most about Hell. I'm the most useless as far as making a schedule goes."

"Okay then," Ruka nodded, giving the purple-haired angel an amused glance.

"We're not cooking any chickens," Rei warned, while walking out of the library.

Immediately, the small blonde ran after him. "Then how about baked or grilled chicken? Or steamed?"

"No! Never! Geez!" When he saw the content grin on Gai's face, he realize he had allowed himself to be provoked again. "You're horrible sometimes, you know that?" The urge to grin, though, was just too strong. "Tch…"

Gai just grinned for a moment longer, until they reached the kitchen. "So, seriously, what were you planning on making?"

Well, honestly he hadn't been planning anything, having been focused on their research all day long. After a moment of thinking, though, he started to search through the cabinets. "Maybe something with fish? If you can managed not to eat it before dinner is actually served."

"Yay!" the blonde immediately yelled, which Rei took as a sign of agreement. "What kind of fish do we have?"

"Salmon, herring and some eel. I could bake them all, if you can make the side-dishes. By the time we get back here it'll be too old to eat it anyway."

"Sounds fine by me," the blonde responded enthusiastically. "So, should I make some salads? Vegetables maybe?"

"Salads will do, I assume you know how to make those?"

"Yeah, as long as I keep them simple and basic."

"Good, then you can start on that. I'll bake the fishes and make some sauces. It probably won't take too long, so we can have dinner served before the others are done working."

The small blonde turned out to be surprisingly useful for making simple salads, and of course Rei didn't have any issues while producing the largest part of dinner. Within half an hour the table was all set, and just when the two angel dropped down on their chairs to have a short break, the other four angels walked in, being followed by Kira and Maya. "We already though you'd be done already, so we brought Maya and Kira along," Goh explained. "It looks great, by the way."

"Definitely not too little too," Maya added with a grin.

"By the time we get back, it'll be walking away from the kitchen by itself, and you and Kira usually prefer meat," Rei explained.

"It wasn't a complaint at all," the small half-angel responded quickly. "It rather was meant as a positive remark."

"I know," Rei reassured him with a soft smile. "Thanks."

The rest of dinnertime went with random, relaxed chatting. Hours after dinner, though, when all of them were sitting in the living-room together, Maya suddenly spoke up again. "Eh… since you'll be leaving so early tomorrow that me and Kira probably won't get a chance to say goodbye then… I just wanted to say now; please be careful. And we'll be waiting here when you'll return." The small redhead looked down at the floor shyly, until Gai suddenly jumped to him and gave him a hug. "Ouch!"

"Sorry," the small blonde grinned. "And… thanks for saying that."

"We'll be as careful as possible," Goh promised. "But… why are you so serious about it this time?"

"We're not stupid!" Kira responded. "We know as well as you do that this is by far the most dangerous assignment that you've ever had. Isn't it natural then, to be more worried than usual?"

"Indeed," Shin replied softly. "But please, don't be too concerned. There's nothing you can do to help us anyway, and there's no way we can contact each other during this assignment. So it'd be useless to worry too much, it'll only make you feel bad."

Maya only nodded sadly, before practically jumping towards the Saint Beasts to hug them all. "But… but we'll miss you. So all of you have to come back alive, no matter what!"

Feeling himself being pushed against his friends, the small redhead was stronger than he seemed, Rei actually had to fight a sudden tightness in his throat. Indeed, the half-angels were perceptive enough to have realized how dangerous this assignment really was. Even Kira, although reluctantly, joined in the group hug.

The rest of the night went in a somewhat heavy silence, everyone staring at the television, but no one really watching it. Shin and Yuda went to bed first, followed not too soon after by Rei and Ruka. When Rei walked from the bathroom back to his own room, though, the blonde half-angel suddenly stood before him. "K-Kira?" he asked, a bit startled.

Usually cold and reserved, the blonde now seemed almost unsure, staring at the floor. "Well… Eh… Your assignment is really dangerous and all… and just in case something… really bad might happen…" The purple-haired angel almost let out a startled yelp when the half-angel suddenly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him. "I don't want to let you leave while thinking I really hate you. You're just… too delicate in some way, for me to be able to communicate with. Or maybe I'm just too much of a bastard. Either way, I don't hate you, and… I'd be really sad if something bad would happen to any one of you."

"Kira…" To his own surprise, Rei felt his eyes watering a bit at that somewhat clumsy declaration of friendship. "Thank you. And… I honestly don't really dislike you either. But please, don't talk like we're in so much danger of getting killed, even if it's the truth. It scares me."

"You know, that's exactly that behavior that I honestly don't know how to respond to without feeling like a moron," Kira mumbled.

"Geez, I'm a moron for acting like this," Rei chuckled, even though he couldn't stop some tears from trailing down his cheeks. A bit awkwardly, Kira stroked the taller angel's silky hair and Rei finally hugged him back. "We'll all return safely. We just have to. Still… I'm really glad you came to talk with me. Thank you."

"Thank you too, for being willing to listen," Kira responded, before slowly stepping back. "Well then, I guess I'll see you again in a few weeks."

"Yeah. And you and Maya should be careful too, don't get in any trouble. And make sure you both eat well!"

Kira chuckled. "Yes, mother hen."

"Tch, I just don't want to come back to find you two all beaten up and skinny. Or too fat."

"Well, me and Maya will make sure we'll stay well-fed and in peace with any humans. If you all make sure to stay alive."

"Agreed," Rei grinned. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

After watching Kira hurry back downstairs to the living-room, Rei slowly walked back to his bedroom to find Ruka leaning against the doorpost. "That was unexpected," he remarked. "Not in a bad way, though."

"Indeed," Rei nodded, wiping the faint trails of tears from his cheeks. "I'm really glad he said that. Although…" A somewhat shaky sigh. "I guess I just can't take it yet to face the facts about how dangerous this truly will be. If I think about how big the chances are of any of us getting seriously hurt… It just terrifies me." He felt himself trembling, and Ruka gently pulled him into the room, closing the door behind them.

"Yuda will be there to heal us," he tried to comfort his beloved one, and himself just as much.

"But what if we do get separated? Or what if it's Yuda who gets hurt? He can't heal himself."

"There's nothing we can do to stop things from happening before they do," Ruka reminded him. "So it'd better not to think about it, it'll only make you more scared."

"I know." Before Ruka even saw it coming, he had the smaller angel in his arms. Knocked off balance, he fell backwards onto the floor. "Ouch…"

"S-sorry!" Immediately, the purple-haired angel climbed off him and pulled him into a sitting position, before carefully curling up against the taller angel's chest again.

This time, Ruka tenderly wrapped his arms around his beloved one. "I'm scared too. Just… it's easier not too think too much about the mortal dangers, but rather about what we'll have to do." In fact, he felt pretty sure that he was, for once, more scared himself than he ever allow Rei to be. The smaller angel knew that, obviously, gently kissing the silver-haired angel's cheek. "As long as I have you, as long as we're all together, I know I can face it. Please just try to feel the same."

"I do." Taking a deep breath, Rei pulled back and sat up straight, those deep golden eyes looking back at Ruka's crimson ones. Fear was still visible in them, but there also was a certain decisiveness in them. "Whatever happens, we can win this as long as we don't give up, right?"

"Indeed," Ruka nodded. "But for the rest of the night… can we just not think about anything? Just hold each other and sleep?"

"I'd love to," the purple-haired angel accepted. "After all, this'll be the last night for weeks, that we'll be able to sleep in an actual bed."

Later that evening, a certain blonde Saint Beast stood unsurely in front of Goh's chamber door. Multiple times already, he had lifted up his hand to knock, but every time he lost his nerve just before his fist would hit the wood. "Damn…" Hissing through his teeth, he glared at the heavy door, like it was its fault. Why couldn't he just find the courage to knock on the door? He never had been shy in any way, but when it came to the brunette things had been different lately, somehow.

Especially this night, the last one before they'd leave for what could very well be the most dangerous assignment they'd ever have to fulfill. Shin and Yuda had each other to hold on to during the night, when it was hardest to fight off all the worries and fears, and so did Rei and Ruka. Even Maya and Kira had each other, as close as they were as brothers. But Gai had never really been able to bring himself to act serious enough to become that close to Goh. Sure, they were more than just friends, but they were close in a different way. That had always been enough, had always felt right. But lately, for weeks now, it just hadn't been good enough anymore. He really wanted to be closer, to be held by the brunette, to hug him back in a truly loving way, instead of childishly affectionate.

For short, he wanted them to be like Rei and Ruka, or Shin and Yuda.

"Were you planning on actually knocking, or did you want to camp out in the hallway?" the brunette's voice suddenly startled him from his thoughts, looking up just in time to see the door opening. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah…" Pushing himself past his shyness, he blurted out; "Can I please sleep with you tonight?" He felt his cheeks heating up. "I mean… just sleeping in the same bed. I just… don't want us to be the only ones who are alone tonight." He forced himself to look up at his friend. "I don't want to be without you tonight."

After a moment of surprise, Goh smiled softly. "Then come in. To be honest, I could use some company too."

"T-thanks." Suddenly feeling somewhat awkward, Gai stepped into the room and closed the door. Lucky that they both were already in pajamas, or things would have gotten really awkward. "So… were you planning on going to sleep already?"

"Considering that we have to be up at five in the morning tomorrow, yes," Goh responded dryly, before turning off the lights. Gai quickly walked around the bed, so they both got in from a different side. "You'll fall off if you lay so close to the edge." Shyly, the blonde moved closer to the middle of the bed, automatically grabbing hold of Goh's hand when he felt it. The brunette gently squeezed back. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Gai responded softly, allowing his eyes to fall shut. To his own surprise, he was starting to drift off to sleep already. To judge by how loosely Goh was holding his hand, the brunette wasn't exactly awake anymore either. Still, the small blonde wasn't too eager on falling asleep just yet, knowing that this could be a onetime happening. Honestly, he didn't think he'd ever gather the courage to just tell Goh how he felt, and the brunette just seemed not to notice it at all, which only made it more difficult. If he'd only knew how Goh felt, then maybe he could finally decide to either tell him, or give up and realize their friendship would never become anything more than that.

Forcing himself to stop thinking about it, knowing that he'd have trouble falling asleep if he would ban out those worries, he snuggled a bit closer to his friend. Close enough to be able to hear Goh breathing softly, he relaxed again and listened to that comforting sound.

Someone shaking at his shoulders woke Rei up. "What?" he groaned, curling up a bit. "Is it morning already?"

"Sort of," he heard his beloved one replying. For a moment, Rei didn't understand that remark, then all facts came back to him as he woke up completely. Almost in a startle, he sat up, nearly hitting Ruka's chest with his shoulder. "Hey, no need to hurry!" Gently, the silver-haired angel wrapped an arm around the smaller angel's thin shoulder. "We're early enough, but you usually make breakfast a few minutes before everyone else comes down to the kitchen. Especially now, it'd safe time if we get breakfast done already."

"Yeah, indeed," Rei nodded, then let out a wide yawn. "Geez, I don't mind getting up early, but this is just too much."

It was meant as a joke, but it only earned him a faint smile from his angel, one that didn't really reach those beautiful crimson eyes. Instead, Ruka suddenly hugged him so tightly that it almost hurt. "Rei… I'm so scared."

"You'll be okay. We all will. And I won't let your memories get to you, no matter what!" Ruka's grip on him only tightened, and he coughed. "T-that is… if you don't suffocate… me now…"

"S-sorry!" Immediately, the silver-haired angel loosened his grip. "It's just… just that…"

"Don't worry, I understand. I won't leave your side, I promise." Tenderly, he kissed his beloved one. "Now, let's get dressed."

"Okay." He still didn't sound too reassured.

"I love you."

Finally, Ruka gave him a true smile, even if it was a small one. "I love you too."

Within a few minutes, they were fully dressed and downstairs, where Rei made breakfast while Ruka packed as much dried meat as they had, along with some bottles of water. Due to the location, they wouldn't be able to rely on nature to support them this time, meaning all six of them would have to carry along a back with meat and water. Vegetables would be a lot more difficult, though, since most of those weren't for human consumption anymore when dried.

"Maybe some spices?" Rei suggested. "It's not the same, but at least I can do something to make the dried meat taste a bit different every day, if we have some spices with us."

"Good idea," Ruka nodded. "I'll put those in your bag, okay?"

"Okay." The dried meat and water was divided equally between all six bags, but Shin would give out notes with spells as well as a copy of the road to everyone, just in case they'd get separated. Also, there was a copy of the schedule for everyone, and a list who would cast which spell, and who's abilities would be most handy in which part of the way through Hell. On last though, there even was a map of Hell itself, showing where they would encounter which kind of doomed souls.

Letting out a shaky sigh, Rei tried to just concentrate on baking some pancakes for breakfast, now. After all, it'd be the last safe meal they'd have, for at least weeks. In the end, he baked a few too many on purpose, putting those leftovers into the refrigerator for Maya and Kira, leaving a note on it not to use too much syrup and sugar.

Just when both him and Ruka were done, Goh and Gai walked in, soon followed by Yuda and Shin. No one felt the urge to say 'good morning'. Honestly, they'd had better ones. In silence, they all sat down for breakfast and ate quietly. "I'll clean the plates and tableware before we leave," Rei mumbled, when everyone was done.

"I'll help you," Shin immediately offered. "Then we won't leave any mess for Kira and Maya."

"If we all help, it'll be finished in a moment," Yuda commented. So it happened, and they somehow were walking out the front door way sooner than Rei would've wished for.

Even though it was 'just' an assignment, in some ways just as important as their former quest had been, the mood was so much different from how it had been last time. Then, they'd been somewhat tense, but full of faith and almost curious about what placed they would see. This time, their only designation was the worst one they could have. It wasn't a purpose not to get hurt even once, because they knew someone would, sooner or later. It wasn't fighting dangers so no one would die. It was fighting the odds.

And this time, instead of saving Ruka and Yuda's place with the other Saint Beasts, chances were that seeing that place again would be the thing to break them. How Ruka had broken down after they'd gotten this assignment, had been terrifying for Rei. He could only imagine how helpless and scared he'd be if the fear of being there again would cause Ruka to break down completely. And the same thing went for Shin and Yuda, if that would happen to the red-haired angel.

"Ruka, Rei, can you use your wings now?" Yuda asked, reminding the two angels that they were supposed to fly them all to the nearest portal to Hell. It'd be way faster than traveling by foot.

They both nodded mutedly, and spread their wings. "Can I carry you again?" Rei asked Shin. The blue-haired angel grinned softly, but nodded. "What? You're just nice to carry," Rei mumbled, feeling his cheeks heating up a bit. Besides, it had became somewhat of a habit, after their last quest.

"Then I'll take Goh and Gai," Ruka offered.

"Duo per duo," Gai chuckled, while they took off into the sky. Despite their destination, Rei tried to enjoy the feeling of flying through the sky as much as he could. Who knew when he'd have the chance again, to feel the cool wind on his face, and this feeling of pure freedom? Sure, they'd have to fly in some parts of Hell too, if only to save some time, but that wouldn't be the same. Down there, there wouldn't be any pleasant gusts of wind, no sense of freedom at all. It didn't matter if he flew, once in there he'd be as captive as a caged bird. With the big different that caged birds usually wouldn't have to fight off demons and doomed souls.

Staring unseeingly forward, he concentrated on the moment. However too short for his liking this flight would be, he wouldn't let it slip by unnoticed. It truly came like a startle when Goh suddenly pointed out that they were nearly at the portal. "Can't say I was looking forward to it," he mumbled, giving Ruka a concerned glance. The silver-haired angel obviously tried not to let his fear show, starting to land without faltering, but both him and Yuda were remarkably more tense than the other four angels.

"Seems like just a regular cave," Gai remarked. "And it's only a few feet deep."

"That's because it's hidden," Shin explained, stepping forward with a note in his hands. After he quickly spoke a long trail of strange sounding words, an almost nauseating smell of sulfur spread through the air. Automatically, all six angels took a step back, watching in slight horror how the back wall of the cave cracked into the form of a pentagram, pure black fire seeping through, before collapsing as a whole. Behind it, pure darkness, not a trace where that fire had came from.

"Let's hurry, before it closes," Goh said, his voice uncharacteristically unsteady.

With a rather fast pace, but obvious reluctance, the six angels started walking. The smell of sulfur became worse when they entered the cave, and Rei felt something like a static shock passing through his body as he passed where the cave's wall had been. The darkness in front of them was too deep to see anything, but the icy cold atmosphere left no questions about whether they were in the right place. It wasn't merely the temperature, this coldness somehow manage to creep deeply into him, making all his senses yell at him to flee while he still could. Someone slowly grabbed his hand, and he nearly cried out before he realized it was only Ruka.

As they passed the last spot on the ground than sunlight could still reach, an almost painfully tearing sound made them all let out a startled gasp. Turning around as quickly as he could without dragging Ruka off his feet, Rei was just in time to see the cave's wall reforming, cutting off the only source of light, locking them up in the darkness of Purgatory.

* * *

**And so they're off to Hell! *evil laugh* And seriously, look up Wiki Travels Hell, it's awesome XD  
I didn't want Kira to be a complete bastard, so that's why I made him apologize to Rei. Can you imagine what that must've done to his ego?**

**I'll update in a week^^**


	16. Screams and whispers

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

For a moment, all was silent. The six angels just stared at the now non-existing entrance with quiet horror, knowing they couldn't have gone back anyway, but unnerved by losing the physical possibility to. "Like I said, it won't stay open for long," Shin commented softly, his voice a bit uneven. "But let's not pause here, we'd better move on fast."

Automatically, everyone searched for another person's hand. Still holding Ruka with one, Rei felt his other hand being taken by a soft, slender one. Shin, he realized. "Is everyone holding on to someone now?" he asked, a bit surprised by how faint his own voice sounded, in this wide nothingness.

"I think so," Yuda replied. "So…" Completely unforeseen, he was interrupted by a loud scream. Unable to stop himself, Rei let out a startled cry, pulling both Ruka and Shin closer. "W-what was that?" Yuda stammered, audibly startled.

"Lost souls," Shin replied, his voice now truly trembling. "They're doomed, almost certainly destined to go to Hell… But for now, until they find something like peace, they'll keep trapped here."

"Some might have been here for centuries," Ruka added, clearly trying to sound somewhat calm. "Which is exactly why we…" Another scream, a worse one this time, full of despair and terror. "…have to be careful. They might get violent," the silver-haired angel finished what he had been saying.

Rei felt himself being dragged forward as whoever was first in line started walking too. No one felt any need for unnecessary conversation, too scared of dragging any attention. The screams, though, did get louder as they went deeper into the Purgatory. No, not just louder. They just got deeper in a way, more and more filled with hopelessness, horrible fear and hate. Even deeper down, the screams began to sound increasingly insane. By the time they must be getting near to the deepest part of Purgatory, the voices were filled with pure, inhuman hatred, which scared Rei the most.

Human souls, this must've been once? He couldn't discover anything like that in those voices. Moreover, they reminded him in a terrible way of how it could have been if Ruka and Yuda wouldn't even have had each other, while trapped in Hell. All alone, unsure and scared. These souls had been here for centuries, far past the point of forcing themselves to be unfeeling. The hatred was deep enough to be sensed in the atmosphere, making Rei feel cold to the bone.

Ruka's hand was still relatively steadily holding on to his, only tightening its grip slightly when there came a particularly horrible scream. Shin's hand, though, was trembling noticeably, even worse than Rei's own. Another scream, right next to his ear, or so it felt, made him jump and cry out. Behind himself, he heard the blue-haired angel gasping in terror, and suddenly he felt himself being pulled down as Shin fell. "Shin!" That scream had came from Yuda, and had only held worry.

"S-something grabbed m-my s-shoulder," Shin stammered. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to drag you down too."

"That's fine, are you all right?" Rei asked quickly, not too eager on waiting to be touched too.

"Y-yes. Just…" His grip on Rei's hand tightened almost painfully. "It w-was so cold. And it seemed t-to grab r-right through me." Rei felt Shin moving, and quickly stood up too. "This one wasn't really violent, but let's get out of here before the truly bad ones come."

As they passed on further through this place of doomed souls, the sounds surrounding them changed in a most disturbing way. The screams, so terrifyingly hateful earlier, went back to simply terrified, but so much more than any of the earlier screams had been. The hatred, though, hadn't disappeared. Instead, they had just ceased to be filled with despair and fear. They had stopped being screams overall, fading into soft whispers, gusts of non-existing breath almost palpable in the air.

"Those are the most dangerous ones," Goh remarked nervously. "The ones that aren't even screaming anymore. They're the ones that are almost ready."

"R-ready?" Gai asked.

An uncomfortable silence followed, no one to eager on replying to that. "The ones that are almost to be sent to Hell," Rei replied finally, since no one else apparently would, his voice trembling more than ever. Precisely at that moment, a whisper sounded close to them again, too deformed to be understood. Rei couldn't help to let out a scream of his own, when he felt a gust of icy cold almost anti-breath against his cheek, and then abruptly stopped when he felt two hard cold hands wrap around his neck.

"Rei?" Ruka's voice sounded worriedly, alarmed by his angel suddenly stopping to walk on. No response came. "Rei, say something!" Another silence, only disturbed by whispers and screams of the doomed souls, and Shin calling Rei's name too. After him neither getting a response, Ruka let go of the person next in line, to reach out for his beloved one without letting go of his hand. His heart nearly missed a beat when instead of his angel's warm body, his hand collided with something cold, and strangely untouchable but yet very solid. What startled him most, though, was the closeness of it. Less than a few mere inches were between himself and this thing. It was, more importantly, between him and Rei.

Then, finally, he heard a sound coming from his angel, and that was what made him practically break through the doomed soul. A weak and terrified noise of chocking. "Rei!" The thing between him and his angel let out a furious scream when it was slammed aside, but at least it let go of the purple-haired angel. Ruka couldn't keep his balance at the sudden pull at his arm, nearly ending up on top of his collapsed angel, but instead managed to wrap his arms around Rei's limp body.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, just when Ruka thought he'd lose his mind if his angel wouldn't give any sign of life soon, Rei gasped loudly and started coughing breathlessly. "Rei?" Yuda's voice. "W-what happened?"

Pulling his beloved one against himself, feeling Rei gasping for breath in his arms, Ruka replied; "One of the souls… I think it tried to strangle him." Rei coughed again, his slender body shaking at the effort of regaining enough oxygen. "I didn't even notice the thing, I just felt him stop walking."

"M-me too," Shin said. "H-how could it have come that close without touching any of us?"

"When I reached out for Rei… It was only inches away from me," Ruka told him, his fear growing when he realized what that meant.

"Then, they obviously have adapted to the darkness," Goh said, sounding honestly scared. "We might not see them, but they… they can see us perfectly."

"Damn…" Ruka hissed. In his arms, Rei's breath finally started slowing down to normal again, leaving the purple-haired angel trembling and slumped against the taller one. "Rei? Are you all right?"

"Y-yes," the smaller angel replied, his voice higher than usual, and trembling even at a three-letter word. A short but sharp intake of breath, and Ruka felt guilt cutting through him when he realized that his beautiful sweet angel was crying silently.

"I'm so sorry, I should have noticed that thing immediately," he apologized, hugging his beloved one tenderly. "I'm sorry."

"N-no… Ruka, it was so silent and… and like Goh said, it knew perfectly where we were." A quiet sob. "I-it whispered… and I felt the gust of breath… or the opposite of it… against my cheek. I couldn't help but to scream, but them it suddenly grabbed me by the throat and I couldn't breathe anymore." Another sob, and Ruka felt his angel grab his hand again, knowing flawlessly where it was, as usual. "I-if you'd have noticed a moment later… R-Ruka, thank you for saving me."

"Rei…" Carefully not to cut off his angel's breath for too long, Ruka kissed him. "I'm glad you're okay. Can you walk?"

"Yeah."Somewhat unsteadily, Rei got out of Ruka's embrace and tried to get onto his feet. Quickly, the silver-haired angel stood up too, holding on to the smaller angel's hand tightly. "S-Shin?" There was some sound of movements, and soon they were all in line again. Carefully but at a quick pace, they resumed walking. Ruka felt how tightly Rei was holding his hand, his slender body almost touching the taller angel's as they walked. Eager to not let open spaces available for those doomed souls.

Through his power of empathy, he felt how terrified his beloved one was. That fact alone worried him, the fact that Rei allowed him to feel it. Usually, the purple-haired angel tried to shield his emotions as far as he could, if only not to burden Ruka with every small concern he felt. Right now, though, his beloved one didn't even try that, which was a clear indication of how scared he truly was.

For what felt like hours, but could have been mere minutes, they walked on through Purgatory. The screams got worse and worse, the whispers he didn't even want to think about more than necessary. Finally, though, they hit a wall. "Shin?" Ruka heard Yuda asking, followed by the blue-haired angel speaking some words in a unknown language. At that, the wall crumbled like the one in the cave had done. This time, they didn't get the luxury of walking in at their own pace, as the evil whispers suddenly turned into demonic growls and what felt like thousands of doomed souls fled through the entrance into the second circle of hell.

Ruka felt the doomed souls rushing through him, and couldn't help but to scream as his gift of empathy suddenly went into overload. Not only did the souls went through the angels, they also went right through each other in their hurry to get away from this nothingness, making him sense too many emotions all at once. He heard Rei screaming his name, Yuda dragging him and the rest forward through the entrance before it would close, felt their fear and worry on top of the dark and haunted emotions from the doomed souls. Rei screamed his name once more, his desperate fear for the silver-haired angel cutting right through Ruka. Then, somehow, everything went even darker as he felt his body collapsing.

"What's wrong with him?" Rei almost yelled at Yuda, when they had found refugee in a small, lava-lit cave. Even in this red light, the silver-haired angel's face was noticeably pale, and he didn't stir at all.

"The souls. They went right through us," Yuda responded, his voice full of worry. "All those emotions must've been too much for him to handle."

"Rei, he'll wake up eventually. For now, there's nothing we can do, besides allowing him to rest," Shin tried to calm down his friend. The purple-haired angel only pulled his beloved one against him even tighter. "He'll be all right, I can promise you that."

Finally, the other angel relaxed a bit, even though he didn't let go of Ruka's limp body. As he leaned back against the cave's wall a bit, his long purple-hair fell over his shoulders, revealing a pair of painful looking bruises on his neck. "Don't those hurt?" Gai asked worriedly, pointing at them.

Almost surprised, Rei lifted one hand to feel at his throat, then winced as he touched the bruises. "Let me heal them," Yuda offered. The purple-haired angel only nodded, leaning his head back a bit to give the taller angel easier access to the injured spot. Within a moment after Yuda's lips touched it, Rei's throat was healed. "That thing must've grabbed you hard."

"Hard enough cut off my breath," the smaller angel responded softly. Then, a guilty look suddenly appeared on his face. "I was holding Ruka's hand all that time, what if it's my fault that he couldn't take all the emotions he got through by his empathy?"

"I'm sure that he's perfectly able to handle feeling your emotions," Goh reassured him. "But can you imagine what it must feel like to sense the emotions of even one of those doomed souls? He felt those emotions multiplied by hundreds when those things passed through us."

"Sounds like he'll have a pretty bad headache once he wakes," Gai commented, the somewhat pathetic attempt of humor not succeeding on making anyone even fake a smile. Instead, they just kept sitting there in silence, the silence only broken by an occasional demonic growl coming from somewhere deep inside this circle of Hell.

The first thing he felt when he regained consciousness, was the worst headache he'd ever had. The second thing he felt was a lot better, namely someone gently caressing his cheek. Wait… what had happened? Weren't they supposed to be walking? No, he couldn't have passed out, that would be unforgivable! Forcing himself to open his eyes, he realized that there was no other explanation, as he noticed that he was lying in someone's arms, and there was a red glow lighting up wherever they were. Certainly not Purgatory anymore.

"Ruka?" Rei's voice. After blinking a few times, his vision sharpened and he saw his friends sitting around him, his beloved one being the one that held him. "Ruka, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." Talking appeared to make his headache even worse. "Ouch… my head hurts."

"It'll be better once you've rested a bit," Shin told him. "It's too dangerous to travel here by night, so we're sleeping here."

"Sorry," the silver-haired angel mumbled, realizing he must've been unconscious for hours. Damn, if he hadn't passed out, they'd be through this part of Hell already. Which made him wonder, which part of Hell this was exactly. He remembered reading about the second circle of Hell, during their research, but his head hurt too much to really think about it right now.

Lucky for him, Gai was wondering the same thing. "What kind of souls can we expect here?"

"The Lustful," Shin responded quietly. "That could mean about anything, the main point is that they don't think nor reason, they'll try to grab whatever they want. Or whoever. But where we are now is more of a passage, so we should be safe here during the night as long as we take turns in being guard." A somewhat worried glance in Ruka's direction. "Except for you, you should really try to sleep to give your mind some rest."

"But…" Ruka started to complain, not wanting to be useless. The look that Rei gave him, managed to quiet him immediately, though. Either he'd take some rest voluntarily, or the purple-haired would make him take some rest. Well, he didn't feel like he would manage to stay awake for much longer anyway, not with this nauseating headache. Rei started caressing his cheek again, and the silver-haired angel felt his eyes automatically slipping shut. But he didn't want to fall asleep yet, not while he still felt worry and fear coming from his beautiful angel. Sure, he couldn't take away all fears, but at least the ones directed at him could be eased.

With some effort, he opened his eyes again, looking up at his angel. Rei smiled at him, but it looked so fake that it almost hurt. Gently, Ruka took Rei's hand and kissed it tenderly. In response, Rei hugged him tightly. "I love you." It came out as a somewhat breathless mumble.

"I love you too. Now stop worrying about me. It's not like you had the most enjoyable experience ever, today," Ruka said softly.

"No, I'd say that experience was the evening after we came back from that quest," the purple-haired angel mumbled, a bit too loudly. Ruka heard Shin choking on his own breath, while Gai couldn't help grinning. Yuda and Goh tried to pretend they had no idea what Rei had meant.

"That's nice to know," the silver-haired angel chuckled softly, watching Rei's cheeks heating up. "And to be honest, I completely agree with you." Finally, Rei smiled for real. With some relieve, Ruka smiled back at him, before he allowed his eyes to close. Within a moment, he felt his angel caressing his cheek again, and he swiftly drifted off to sleep.

Silently, Rei kept staring at his beloved one for a while. Even though he didn't seem hurt or anything, even though Ruka had told him not to worry, he couldn't help but to notice how pale his beloved one's face was. Honestly, he couldn't even imagine how terrifying it must be to feel such dark emotions, let alone to feel hundreds of those at the same moment. Still, he did remember the horrifying feeling he'd experienced himself when all those doomed souls had swarmed through them, and he had suddenly felt Ruka's hand going limp in his own. When he had seen his beloved one collapsing onto the ground, he'd honestly thought the worst for a moment.

"Rei, he's all right. Try to sleep a bit, there are still hours to go before it's your turn to be guard," Shin told him softly. "The calmer you are, the better he'll sleep."

The purple-haired angel nodded quietly, and then looked around to see most of his friends already being asleep, sitting slumped against the cave's walls. Only Shin was awake, since he had the first shift. "Please wake me up if he seems like he's having a nightmare. I don't know how affected he is by my emotions while he sleeps, but I can't help but to worry."

"I understand. Still, he usually barely seems affected by it. Though he is more vulnerable now, after his barriers broke down due to those souls." Probably realizing that this subject wasn't helping Rei to get to sleep, the blue-haired angel placed one arm around his friend's shoulders instead. "Anyhow, I'll be watching. After me, it's Yuda's shift as guard, I'll ask him to keep an eye on Ruka too." A soft smile. "Sleep well."

"You too, in a few hours," Rei replied, smiling back faintly. After rearranging Ruka, so the taller angel wouldn't fall when Rei would be asleep, he closed his eyes. Within some minutes, Shin felt Rei's head dropping onto his shoulder. Like expected, the purple-haired angel was a lot more tired than he had wanted to show. Well, at least he was resting now.

This was Hell, after all. They'd need to be fully rested and prepared to fight every single day while they were here, and that included tomorrow.

* * *

**Doesn't Purgatory seem nice? XD I almost felt bad for Rei, but it was way too much fun to write. I do feel a little bad for giving Ruka such a bad headache, though.**

**I'll update in a week^^**


	17. Wanted

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

Even though he didn't at all feel well rested that morning, Ruka immediately opened his eyes when he woke. At least the headache was almost gone, so he wouldn't slow them down again. Sure, it hadn't been his own fault at all, but still. They'd already be through the second circle of Hell, if he hadn't passed out. Upon looking around, though, he realized he was a bit over-eager to make up for that. Goh and Shin were just waking up, while Gai Yuda and Rei still remained deep asleep.

"Ruka, how are you feeling?" Shin asked concerned, when he had woken up fully.

"A lot better," the silver-haired angel responded with a soft smile. When he carefully sat up, hoping that it wouldn't make the headache get worse again, Goh immediately helped him. A bit surprised Ruka looked at him, but then gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"Mmh…" Slowly, Yuda woke up too. "Morning already?"

"Yeah. Even though it'd be much better to be woken by the sun," Shin remarked sadly.

"It'll still be there when we return," Goh tried to cheer him up.

"That's a fact, but it could take weeks before we get to that point." A somewhat nervous glance to the ground. "We still have many kilometers to travel downwards."

While Yuda gently kissed the blue-haired angel to distract him of that fact, and Goh started waking up Gai, Ruka gently shook at Rei's shoulder. "Rei? It's time to wake up." A deep sigh was the first response, then the smaller angel blinked a few times. "Good morning, my angel," Ruka greeted him with a smile.

"Ruka! Good morning, are you feeling better?" Before even giving his beloved one the chance to reply properly, Rei wrapped his arms around him and kissed him onto his cheek. "You seem a lot better."

"I do feel a lot better," the taller angel replied, chuckling softly. "Doesn't your throat hurt?"

It took Rei a moment to remember what he meant, signaling Ruka how much more terrified his angel had been when he had passed out, than when he had been almost killed by a doomed soul himself. It made him feel guilty, though he made sure not to let that show. "Yuda healed it," Rei finally replied. "I don't think I'll ever be too eager to walk around in such darkness, though."

"Well, at least there's no place like Hell," Yuda responded dryly, although his voice did hold some bitterness. "This is the one and only, luckily."

"Too bad that our assignment is exactly to that one and only," Gai remarked.

"But I'm sure we'll appreciate Earth and Heaven a lot more once we're out of here again," Rei tried to look at the bright side, as usual.

"That's a fact," Ruka nodded, remembering that first night in bed with Rei, after he and Yuda had came to their senses again. Even something as common as sleep, seemed wonderful if it wasn't in here. Or maybe it was just so much more better, he thought, when Rei was with him.

This was, after all, no comparison as to when he and Yuda had been banned to this place. Sure, the memories were haunting, but he had never realized until now, that the place where he and Yuda had been captured had been relatively calm. It had been horrible nonetheless, and he wasn't sure if he'd ever get over the mental trauma. He still felt terrified at even the mere thought of seeing that place again. But if there had been doomed souls swarming around that exact place too, then he wasn't sure whether he wouldn't have gone insane beyond repair.

"Ruka?" Rei's soft voice woke him from his thoughts, and he looked up a bit startled. "Are you sure you're okay?" Those big golden eyes were full of concern, making the taller angel feel guilty yet again.

"Yes, I was only thinking." He should've known better than to be so spaced-out while the purple-haired angel was still concerned about him. "Don't worry."

"I can't promise that I won't. Just like I know that you won't stop worrying about me either." At that, the silver-haired angel smiled and then kissed him onto his lips. "Mmh…" Rei couldn't stop a surprised but pleased moan, and his cheeks went a deep shade of red from embarrassment. It actually matched pretty good with the shade of red of his angel-robe, Ruka noticed.

"Eh… I don't know if that counts as breakfast for you two, but shall we eat something now? I'm hungry," Gai grinned.

After having a quick breakfast, they all stood up and walked reluctantly to the exit of this small cave. Rei felt Ruka taking his hand and squeezing it softly. Unsure whether his beloved one was trying to reassure him, or just himself, the purple-haired angel squeezed back with a small smile into his beloved one's direction. As they came closer to the true second circle of Hell, the sound of heavy dry wind became almost too loud to hear any other sounds. Including their own talking, Rei realized with some concern. That meant there wouldn't be any easy way to communicate while they were in there, and also no way to discuss a strategy.

"Let's hold hands again," Yuda suggested. "If we lose each other there, we won't even hear each other yelling."

"Indeed. Yuda, will you lead the way again?" Goh said. "I'll go last, to check if we don't lose anyone."

Slowly, they got in line again, this time with Shin holding Yuda's hand while Rei walked behind him. Of course, Rei made sure to have Ruka walking behind him, so he wouldn't have to let go of his angel's hand. Even though in here, they'd at least be able to see any potential enemies, and Ruka didn't seem too much haunted by memories at the moment, it still felt safer to him this way. At least he had some kind of physical connection with his angel. Ruka appeared to feel the same, holding Rei's hand tightly but gently, which the purple-haired angel was grateful for.

"Ready?" Yuda asked, at the end of the cave. Rei shivered when a strong gust of wind crept around the corner, but didn't object. At a rather fast pace, they started walking again.

Inside this circle, the wind was even louder, and so strong that it nearly cut off his breath. It was dark too, but lighted up by a stream of lava next to the wide path. This truly was a circle, the path being in a constant curve to the left and at a slightly downward angle. Behind them, the lava came up from the center of Hell, filling up both the river and going down a water… no, lava-fall, beside the cave where this path led to. Since it was relatively calm here, Rei suspected that it was past that entrance, where the convicted souls were trapped.

All too quick, at least that's how Rei felt, they had walked that full circle and reached the entrance. Even though he obviously tried not to show any fear, Yuda slowed down for a moment in front of it, causing the others to almost bump against him. Then, although a tad slower than before, he walked on. Rei's mind screamed at him not to follow, to try and flee as fast as he could, but he knew that wasn't a possibility. Still, at this point he was grateful for the fact that they were walking hand in hand, as he was being pulled along by Ruka anyway.

For a moment, all was black. Then, the second circle of Hell was revealed. A long, circular path downwards, lava being the only source of light, and dry harsh winds that seemed to come out of nowhere. Worst was, that they were completely unpredictable, even coming from multiple directions at once. Rei's breath caught for a moment when he took a better look, and saw the faint figures of human beings being blown around. The lustful. Convicted souls. One of them looked at him directly, eyes invisible but… palpable in some horrifying way, and he let out a startled gasp.

"Rei, don't look!" Shin yelled in his ear, his friend's voice barely audible over the strong wind. "They'll… want you!"

A shiver went through him when he remembered what his friend meant. These souls had been convicted for allowing their lusts to rule them. But in here, there was nothing and no one to lust for. No one, until the six of them had walked in. If these souls would get interested even a bit, this could turn out bad. He felt Ruka gently squeezing his hand, obviously having noticed the shiver. Tenderly, the smaller angel squeezed back, trying to convince his angel that there was no need to worry. In here, they were all at equal danger. No need for the silver-haired angel to worry about anything other than himself.

Suddenly, he heard Yuda yelling something. The harsh wind made in impossible to understand, but it sounded like a warning or maybe even a swear. Almost reluctant, but needing to get any information available, as that might be the thing to save or end his life, Rei stepped aside a bit to look past Shin and Yuda. "No…" he then hissed desperately. A large gap right in the middle of the way. Way too large to jump through. To make it look even more attractive, there was a noticeably big concentration of convicted souls swarming through each other, right above the gap.

"Rei!" Ruka practically screamed in his ear, to get his attention. "Flying! It's the only way!"

"But the winds!" Shin yelled back, having heard the silver-haired angel.

"We can't jump, so what else can we do!" Goh interfered with the discussion.

"Flying is indeed the only way!" Yuda decided. "Rei, Ruka, can you manage that?"

The last question wasn't spoken loud enough to be fully heard, but the two angels understood and nodded. Honestly, Rei was pretty sure he'd be like a kite in the wind, unable to choose his own directions, but it was either that or giving up. With obvious reluctance, Ruka let go of the smaller angel's hand to get hold of Goh and Gai, while Rei did the same with Yuda and Shin. As soon as he spread his wings, the force of the winds seemed to increase tenfold, almost blowing him off his feet before he could even start trying to fly.

No, he couldn't fail. Not now, not when flying was by far his most useful ability.

Refusing to let the wind win from his wings, he took off. Immediately, he felt himself being blown towards the wall, then fluttered away from there. "Hurry!" Yuda warned. "Your wings seem to attract the souls' attention!"

Looking up, not allowing himself to stop flying forward, the purple-haired angel couldn't suppress yet another shiver. Indeed, the convicted souls' horrifying eyes were looking straight at him and Ruka now, some even moving towards them. Coming closer, he had to force himself not to slow down even a bit when the souls suddenly reached out to touch them, only to be blown away by the wind before they could. Rei couldn't pity him, being touched by a doomed souls once was enough for one lifetime. Still, the fear building up inside him started to grow much, much quicker when they reached the space above the middle of the gap.

At first, he thought it was just the wind getting a different sound. Then, with some shock, he realized that it were whispers. Not haunted and desperate ones, but honestly scary ones in a completely different sense. When a gust of wind blew some souls only inches passed him, he heard; "Wings… beautiful… Must have them…"

"Hurry," Shin yelled at him. "Rei, now!"

Hearing the fear in his friend's voice, he sped up with all the strength he had left in him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ruka following just as quickly. They were already half passed the gap now, only a little bit left… Something touched his left wing, something cold and strange and so wrong that it almost caused the angelic energy to withdraw from his touch. Unable to stop himself from letting out a small scream of terror, Rei kicked in the direction of the soul, not hitting anything but a concentration of icy cold air.

Looking back for just a second, he saw more souls gathering, moving desperately beside Rei and Ruka, occasionally reaching out to try and touch their wings. More disturbingly, they seemed to be getting more and more eager. Suddenly, a sharp sting shot through his right wing, and again he kicked into empty air when he realized that one of the souls had just tried to pluck some feathers off his wing. It seemed to have given the others the same idea, as he saw Ruka kicking at a convicted soul too.

Almost at the end of the gap, only about ten feel to go before they'd reach another wall with hopefully an entrance to the next circle. Or rather, a way out of here.

More sharp stings shot through his wings, and he almost hit a wall when some souls actually pulled at his entire left wing. Fluttering quickly, creating as much wind as possible, he managed to keep the souls away a bit further, disabling them to pull at his wing, but unable to keep then far away enough to not let them pluck some more feathers. Taking a short look behind again, he realized with some satisfaction that the beautiful golden and silver feathers from him and Ruka, simply dissolved in the souls' hands. At least there wouldn't be any of their feathers lingering in such a place.

"Shin, the spell!" Yuda yelled, only barely audible as the souls started screaming in desperate anger, realizing their objects of lust were getting away. The blue-haired angel practically screamed the spell at the wall in front of them, making it open up just before Rei and Ruka would fly into it. As if Hell didn't want to get disorganized any further, the wall closed itself again right after the angels had passed through it, not allowing any convicted souls to get into the small cave to the next circle.

Suddenly becoming aware of the soreness that was taking over his wings, Rei slowed down to allow Shin and Yuda to get onto their feet, before clumsily landing himself. After doing the same, although landing a little bit more graceful, Ruka stepped behind Rei to check the smaller angel's wings. "They didn't pull out much, but the spots are reddened a bit," he concluded. He didn't ask whether it hurt, as he probably felt the same himself. Turning around, Rei laid a hand on his angel's shoulder, before looking at those beautiful silver wings.

"Yours look hurt too," he remarked softly. "Good thing that we won't have the chance to use them much anyway." Tenderly, he touched one of the reddened spots on Ruka's right wing, noticing his angel tensing in pain. "S-sorry," he apologized, quickly withdrawing his hand.

"Don't be, I know yours feel the same." With that, the silver-haired angel withdrew his wings. Letting out a somewhat shaky sigh, Rei did the same. "They only hurt when touched or moved, so we shouldn't feel them as long as we keep them in."

"I'd wish I could heal them," Yuda said softly, almost apologetic.

"Don't worry, they'll probably heal up quickly by themselves," Rei responded immediately, even though he didn't know for sure if that was even the truth. Well, if he'd turn out to be wrong about it, there was no need for Yuda to feel any guilt. "Does anyone know what time it is, by the way?"

"I'm hungry, so it should be around lunchtime," Gai replied.

"Well then, let's take a short break to eat something," Shin decided. "If we hurry, we can get through the third circle before the end of today."

The third circle, the prison of the gluttonous souls. While quickly sitting down to eat with his friends, Rei tried to remember as much as he could from their research. All that he could recall, was that the souls there were convicted for gluttony, and that they'd try to consume anything available. Also, there was supposed to be some kind of higher class demon, though not one of high intelligence. A three-headed dog, named the Cerberus. Somehow, even the name didn't make Rei too eager to meet that beast.

Neither of them seemed to be even a bit enthusiastic about this trip, all eating quickly but without any appetite. Shin however, barely ate at all. For a moment, Rei just studied his friend for a bit, trying to figure out if he was hurt or anything. But to judge by the way that the blue-haired angel stared at the ground, the look in his bright golden eyes vacant, he was only lost in thoughts. Gently, Rei touched his friend's shoulder to get his attention. "Shin?"

"Eh?" A bit startled, his friend looked up. "Sorry, did you say something?"

"No, you just seemed worried about something. You should eat."

The other angel smiled faintly at that. "I know. And I was only trying to remember something I read. Something about that Cerberus, a weakness of his. But it was only mentioned once in all those books, so I can't recall what it was." A chuckle. "Usually my brains collect any information available, it's kind of annoying me that I can't remember it now."

"Shin, you're such a nerd sometimes," Gai grinned teasingly, causing the blue-haired angel to blush a bit.

"He's the most attractive one ever, then," Yuda commented dryly. At that, Shin almost choked on a bit of dried meat, coughing breathlessly while Rei carefully patted his back in an effort to help.

"For his safety, shall we drop that subject now?" Goh said, unable to hide a slightly amused grin when Shin shot a half-hearted glare at him. "Hey, why do I get the glare?"

"Because you won't think of a 'funny' comeback," the blue-haired angel responded, with a soft chuckle. Amusedly, Rei listen to this conversation, happy to feel the mood loosing up a bit. It didn't last for long, though, as within minutes they'd have to get back moving again.

* * *

**I'll update in a week^^**


	18. Hit and fallen

SEQUEL to: 'You'll never know'. I guess this one makes more sense if you've read that one too, but it isn't really necessary ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

With obvious reluctance, the six angels cleaned up the remains of their lunch, before standing up to get on with their journey. "Ruka?" Knowing it wouldn't be necessary to hold each other's hands while in the third circle, it could even be a dangerous obstacle once they'd have to face that Cerberus, he felt a bit uncomfortable asking what he was going to ask. But honestly, he needed some physical reassurance, some kind of connection with something or someone not from this place. "Would you mind holding my hand while in here?"

"Of course I don't mind," his angel replied with a faint smile. It looked too nervous to truly be comforting, but Rei certainly appreciated the effort. At least Ruka's grip on his hand was just as strong and secure as always. Without wasting any more time, the Saint Beasts started walking towards the end of the cave passage, Yuda and Goh walking in the front.

As they moved closer, Rei heard a distinct sound of rain and felt a slight lowering of the temperature. Evidently, he wasn't the only one, as he felt his friends moving closer towards each other in an effort to keep their warmth. It didn't help much, or at all, when they reached the third circle to be welcomed by an icy cold shower of rain.

"How can it be raining underground?" Gai growled, holding his arms above his head to try to keep a bit dryer. "Geez, and isn't Hell supposed to be warm?"

"There is boiling lava here, otherwise it wouldn't be light enough to see in here," Shin responded, his voice wavering a bit. "But there is no logical explanation as to how this freezing rain can fall here."

"It's Hell, that's the only explanation," Ruka responded darkly. "We'd better hurry, before we'll all catch a cold."

No one had any intention of being in this rain for any longer than necessary, and quickly resumed traveling. So far, no violent souls. The only ones Rei spotted, were squirming on the ground, as if too preoccupied by their own agony to even notice them. Which, quite honestly, he didn't mind at all. The less problems they'd encounter here, the sooner they'd be in a relatively safe place again.

"They look so… lost," Shin remarked softly. "How can anyone be so blinded by their own needs?"

"No one should be, that's why these souls are here," Yuda replied. "Don't keep looking at them, we'd better all watch out for the Cerberus. We have no way of knowing if it won't see us as a threat."

Feeling himself starting to shiver, his clothes drenched by the rain, Rei looked around for as far as he could see. There in the distance, in the way that they were heading, was a large dark shape visible, unmoving but undoubtedly present. "That thing at where the exit should be… could that be it?" he said, forcing his voice not to tremble.

As his friends looked into the same direction, the shape suddenly started moving as if waking up from a slumber, before two bright red eyes showed up. Not red like Ruka's, but an almost burning shade, visible even from the distance that the angels were away from it. Rei's breath almost caught when the thing started moving quickly towards them, a terrifying growl cutting through the air. Around them, the convicted souls started moaning and even whimpering, finally appearing to get out of their own little world and trying to crawl into the opposite direction.

"Be ready to fight!" Yuda warned, as the thing growled again, obviously not welcoming the angels.

They barely had time to get ready, as it turned out. Rei let out a scream when the Cerberus suddenly jumped forward at an unnatural speed, before using its claws to take a hit at them. It barely missed Yuda and Goh, who quickly jumped back. Almost in a reflex, the six angels shot at the Cerberus with all they had, but Rei felt his body being heavy from the cold, making it difficult to aim. To his horror, he saw that the Cerberus barely responded to their attacks, its three heads growling simultaneously before shooting back with a deep dark energy beam.

"Shin!" Standing in the middle, the blue-haired angel couldn't escape quickly enough, and Rei pulled him against himself in the last moment before impact. The pain was almost too much, making his head spin dizzily. Trying to scream, but only managing to get out a chocked gasp, he hit the ground. "S-Shin?" Vaguely hearing his friends yelling something, but too dazed by the pain to realize what they said, he opened his eyes. Just in time to see a huge claw swinging towards him and the other angel. The impact, still, was too sudden to even hurt.

"Nng…" Hearing himself moaning, Rei opened his eyes. Rain hit his face, freezing cold. But… where was… Dizzily closing his eyes again, he realized that he must've been thrown pretty far across this circle. But then, his friends were still fighting! He had to get back there!

Sitting up quickly, he failed to notice his own injuries quickly enough. A agonizing pain shot through his left leg, causing him to let out a scream. "N…ngg…" Suddenly trembling all over his body, both from pain and fear, he looked around to see if his friends were at least anywhere close.

Closer than he had expected, at least one of them. "Shin!" Worriedly, he leaned over the unconscious angel lying next to him, being stopped quickly by the pain in his leg. "Shin? Please say something!" No response at all. As carefully as possible, Rei turned his friend upon his side, feeling how cold they both were. "Oh… please don't be…" he stammered, when a large wound on Shin's forehead was revealed. "Wake up!" Nearly panicking, he shook at his friend's shoulders. "Open your eyes! Shin!"

A faint cough, then a weak shiver went through the blue-haired angel's body. He didn't open his eyes, though, until Rei pleadingly asked him to. Those bright golden orbs were hazy, and barely focused, but at least he was awake now. "R-Rei? W-what happened?"

"The Cerberus his us, I don't know where the others are. B-but I can't walk, I think my leg is broken." He didn't have the stomach to look at it himself, but the way Shin's eyes widened when he looked down at Rei's legs was enough explanation. It was bad. "Shin, how are you feeling?"

"Well… not fit to walk, I'm afraid. It's not just the dizziness…" A weak shiver. "My body feels so numb… like it's frozen."

"What if they can't make it without us?" To his own horror, he felt tears of desperation burning behind his eyes. "I can't even see them from here, we don't even know where they are!"

"They'll find us. T-they can at least get away… from that beast." An audible shaky sigh. "W-we'd better worry… about staying a-alive… until they… f-find…" Before even finishing that line, Shin's soft voice trailed off as he lost consciousness again without any warning.

"Shin!" Having enough experience with concussions to know that it would be bad for his friend to sleep right now, Rei patted Shin's cheek in an attempt to wake him up. "Shin? Hey, wake up!"

"Mmh… c-cold…" His eyes kept close, voice barely more than a whisper.

"Stay awake! You need to keep conscious!" As gently as he could manage, he laid down against his friend and wrapped his arms around him. Moving his leg shot so much pain through him that the world went dark for a moment, but he wouldn't allow himself to faint while he had to help his friend. It hurt even more to bring out his wings, the wounds from the ripped out feathers stinging in the rain. Catching Shin's questioning glance, he explained softly; "It won't help much… but if we lay partly on my one wing, and be shielded a bit by the other, it might make it less cold."

Although he didn't really respond, Shin did seem to understand. It took some effort to get his wing underneath the other angel, but at least Shin tried to help as best as he could. Then, he gently laid his other wing over Shin's body, shielding his own body a bit too. "Mmh…" the blue-haired angel mumbled, his eyes half lidded.

"Better?"

"Yes." Shin's eyes slid shut. "Ouch… my head feels like it's going to crack."

"Try not to move anymore," Rei told him softly. "I'm sure our friends will find us soon." Even after repeating that line multiple times inside his head, he still hadn't managed to convince himself, though.

Only just quick enough to avoid the Cerberus claws, Ruka dove aside. Hitting the mud at a fair speed, he felt the air getting knocked out of his lungs for a moment, making the world spin. No, he couldn't allow himself to be defeated by this thing, not while he had to find Rei! Just before the Cerberus launched another attack on him, Yuda shot at it to drag its' attention away from his fallen friend. As fast as he could, the silver-haired angel got back onto his feet. The Cerberus now went after Yuda, who unluckily ended up with his back against a wall, unable to get away from the beast. Even from a distance, Ruka could see the fear in his friend's turquoise eyes.

"Yuda, watch out!" Not having any other choice than to do as Goh yelled, the redhead pushed himself in a corner between the wall and the ground, trying to seek as much shelter as possible from whatever the brunette was planning on doing. Answer to that question came soon enough, when Goh used his power of fire to shoot at the stone ceiling above the beast, making large pieces of rock fall down on top of it.

The deep growl that the beast let out sounded angry rather than pained, but at least it was preoccupied long enough for Yuda to crawl away from the wall, back to his friends. "T-thanks," he said to Goh.

"Didn't any of those rocks hit you?" the other angel asked hurriedly, worry audible in his voice.

"Not really." Hearing that answer, Ruka immediately stepped closer to check up on his friend, being familiar with that tone of replying. "Well, just a little. It's nothing serious," Yuda admitted, giving the silver-haired angel a somewhat sheepish glance. "It's not like I can do anything about it anyway, so let's concentrate on immobilizing that beast long enough to have a chance to search for Shin and Rei."

In the short time that their conversation took, the Cerberus had recovered. "Guys… it looks kinda pissed off," Gai remarked, his voice trembling uncharacteristically. Indeed, those demonic red eyes glowed dangerously, hate practically burning inside of them. Evidently, it didn't appreciate the fact that Goh had given him a shower of rock. Wait… rocks?

"Gai, can you try to cave that thing in?" Ruka asked suddenly.

"What…" The blonde's eyes widened. "Why didn't I think of that?" Immediately, he put his hands on the ground and started manipulating the cave.

"We have to keep that beast occupied so it'll stay in one spot," Yuda said. "If the three of us all attack from a different angle, it might work!"

Following Yuda's lead, they took positions and kept shooting energy beams at the Cerberus, careful not to hit the walls that Gai was trying to create. Just when Ruka was sure that he wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer, the stone cage was finished. "W-we'd better hurry, I don't know how long it'll keep that beast in," Gai warned, trembling visibly. Without any more talking, the four angels ran off into the direction where Shin and Rei had been thrown to, Goh swiftly grabbing Gai's waist while running. "Hey, I can walk myself!" the blonde complained.

"Not fast enough, after using so much of your power."

To Ruka, it felt like hours until they he finally saw something radiant in the distance. Gold? Rei's golden wings? Alarmed, he brought out his own wings and shot towards it, trusting Yuda and Goh to follow running. "Rei, Shin!" It was too dark at this spot to see well, but the pool of blood around Rei's legs told him instantly where the injuries were. It wasn't until he landed, though, that the smaller angel stirred a bit and dizzily looked up at him. Quickly, Ruka leaned over him in an effort to shield him from the rain. Why didn't his beloved cover up his body with his wings? And where was Shin? "Rei, what are your injuries?" Asking him if he were all right would be useless, after all.

"J-just my leg," the purple-haired angel mumbled. "And I'm freezing. B-but Yuda has to heal Shin first, he's hurt worse."

"Where is he?" Ruka asked, looking around.

The look Rei shot him was almost amused. "Calm down and look better." Weakly, he lifted his left wing a bit, revealing the unconscious angel lying in his arms. "He was so cold, so I thought this would help. He has warmed up a bit, but a little while ago he fainted again and I can't get him to wake up." The worry and fear in his voice was evident, and judging by how gently he rested his wing over Shin's body again, he really was terrified by how hurt and fragile Shin seemed. Still, it wasn't like he looked to good himself, the loss of blood and the undoubtedly horrible pain from his leg, had left their traces on the purple-haired angel's face.

Tenderly, Ruka caressed his beloved one's unhealthily pale cheek, hoping to offer some comfort. "Just hold on, the others are running to here so they'll get here quickly." Rei only gave him a weak smile, before those deep golden eyes slid shut, his face tensed in pain.

"Ruka? How are they? Where is Shin?" Yuda asked, before he had even reached the three angels on the ground. Together with Goh, he kneeled down beside Ruka when Rei lifted his wing again. "Shin…" As fast as he could, the red-haired angel kissed his beloved one's forehead, healing both the wound and the concussion.

"Will he be okay?" Rei asked faintly, looking up at Yuda with a pleading gaze.

"He just needs to get out of this rain, so he can warm up fully. You probably saved his life, though, by shielding him with your wings like that. Thank you," Yuda said softly, before examining Rei's body. "Even so… I'm afraid I'll have to hurt you quite a bit in order to heal your leg."

Rei's face paled considerably at that. "You… have to set the bone back in place before healing it, right?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

A shuddering sigh. "It's necessary, you don't do it for fun." Tears glistened in his eyes. "D-do I have to lie on my back?"

"That would be best, then it'll be the easiest to get it right in one try," Yuda nodded.

"Okay. R-Ruka, can you take over Shin and shield him with your wings?" It looked like he'd much rather be held himself, but it was admirable that he still worried about his friend at this point. That didn't make Ruka feel less guilty, though, feeling like he should be able somehow to make everything all right without Rei having to go to even more agony. Still, he merely nodded and went to Rei's other side to easily take Shin into his arms, bringing his wings out to shield the blue-haired angel, while Rei withdrew his own wings.

As if he felt that someone other than Rei touched him now, Shin stirred a bit before opening his eyes. They were hazy from cold and exhaustion, but immediately focused. "R-Ruka?"

"Just rest, your body needs it. We'll get out of here as soon as Rei's leg is set and healed." Ruka saw the blue-haired angel wince at that, obviously understanding how that was going to feel for Rei.

"Shin? It'll be fine." Managing to keep his voice from trembling for a moment, that almost came out convincing. It destroyed that effect, though, when Yuda and Goh carefully helped him turn over onto his back and he let out a quiet whimper of pain.

"Goh, I need you to keep him still, if he moves it might worsen the damage," Yuda ordered. "Gai, since Ruka and Shin can't help right now, can you try to comfort him?"

The blonde nodded, and then unsurely took Rei's pale hand. In response, the purple-haired angel practically yanked the smaller angel down and held him like a plush toy. "R-Rei?" With obvious carefulness, Gai wrapped his arms around Rei's thin shoulders. "Y-you'll be okay." The other angel merely buried his face in Gai's hair, too much occupied by keeping himself calm, to respond to anything.

"Rei, I'll set your leg at three. Try not to move."

From the corner of his eye, Gai saw Ruka biting his lower lip in shared agony, looking like he'd do anything to trade with his beloved one, to take away Rei's pain. The purple-haired angel whimpered again when Yuda took hold of his leg, and the blonde fully concentrated on the task of comforting his friend. Even though he couldn't lessen the pain, he could at least give Rei the chance to hold on to something. Even if he'd be squeezed into pieces, he was willing to do it to help his friend.

Rei stiffened noticeably when Yuda started counting to three, his breathing quickening. In response, Gai hugged him a bit tighter, allowing the other angel to tighten his grip too. When Yuda counted to three, he felt Rei's breathing hitch. Then, a sickening crack sounded, and a shudder went to Rei's body while he screamed. Gai felt the other angel's grip tightening painfully, and couldn't help but to let out a whimper at that agonized scream barely an inch away from his ear. Quickly, though, the screaming faded into choked gasps and whimpers, tears falling onto Gai's cheek from Rei's.

"He's healed," Yuda announced, a moment later. "The pain should fade away within seconds, but he'll need some time to recover from the shock."

"Rei?" Ruka asked worriedly. "How are you feeling?"

The purple-haired angel took an unsteady breath, Gai felt his chest heaving since he was lying on top of the other angel. "I-it doesn't hurt anymore. T-thanks, Yuda."

"I can't say I did it with pleasure, but I'm glad you're okay now," the red-haired angel responded softly.

Slowly, Rei started to sit up. Quickly, Gai sat up before him and placed an arm over the other angel's back to support him. "Are you sure that you can walk?"

Although his face was as white as a sheet, Rei nodded. "I think so." Shakily, he moved his legs a bit to stand up, but his left leg just didn't have the strength back to hold him yet. "S-sorry…" Embarrassedly, the purple-haired angel stared at the floor.

"We should hurry, before the Cerberus escapes. Would you mind it if I'd carry you?" Yuda asked friendly, trying to comfort the smaller angel a bit.

"I don't mind at all," Rei replied softly. "Just… I'm sorry."

"Even though it's healed, it's only natural that your leg will need a few hours to recover fully," Goh commented.

"Besides, I kinda doubt that you think of it as a hobby to be used as a football by demonic beasts," Gai grinned, teasingly pulling at Rei's hair. To his relieve, the purple-haired angel smiled a bit at that, making him look a lot better overall.

Only a little time later, they reached the wall behind which the passage to the next circle lay. Being carried on Yuda's back, his leg still feeling somewhat numb and weak, Rei looked behind to see Shin. The blue-haired angel seemed to feel better, the look in his eyes clear and his face not so unhealthily pale anymore, but still shivered a bit. "Shin, can you say the spell, or should someone else do it?" he asked his friend.

"I can do it," the blue-haired angel nodded.

"Won't it cost you too much energy?" Goh asked worriedly.

Shin softly shook his head. "I'm not tired, my body just got too cold to function when Rei and me lay back there." Without giving opportunity for any more discussion on the subject, he said the spell and a small part of the wall crumbled down, for just long enough to let the six angels step through quickly. When the wall closed behind them, most of the light faded away, leaving them in a small cave passage with only a faint blue light. Luckily, the rain didn't fall here, and Rei felt honestly grateful for the fact that the light wasn't red here, which was a welcome change for his eyes.

"Shall we rest here?" Yuda suggested. "It's already passed our usual dinner-time, so there's no time to go through the fourth circle now anyway."

"Indeed," Ruka nodded. "Besides, both Shin and Rei will feel better after some hours of rest." Carefully, he sat the blue-haired angel down on the ground with his back against the wall, and then withdrew his wings. At that, it became a bit darker, but there was just enough light to see properly as far as this small passage went. Some feet ahead, there was a turn in the passage, probably leading to the fourth circle, but for now this small cave was all they needed.

Carefully, Yuda let Rei slide off his back, turning immediately to support him. Which was good, since Rei felt his left leg sliding out from underneath him almost instantly. "Rei? Are you sure you're all right?" Yuda asked, a concerned look in those bright turquoise eyes.

"Y-yes." Careful not to hurt himself, Rei tried to stand on his left leg. It had regained enough strength to hold him, but it was still too unsteady to walk safely on. At least there was a clear improvement, he supposed he should be happy about that. "I'm sure it'll be as good as new, tomorrow morning." He smiled. "Thanks for carrying me."

"You're welcome. It was lot less unpleasant than setting your leg," Yuda responded dryly. "I truly didn't want to hurt you."

"I know, but if you wouldn't have done that, it would never have healed correctly. And then it would've had to be broken again to set it, which would have hurt way more." A faint shudder. "Though it might sound strange, I'm glad I was already out cold before hitting the ground." To actually feel and hear his leg break would have been enough to make him throw up, he felt pretty sure about that. When it had been set, he had at least been prepared for it. Which gave him another thought. "Shin, were you conscious when you hit the ground?" He hadn't meant for it to sound so curious, but at least it made his friend chuckle softly.

"I don't remember, so I probably wasn't. Or else the knock on my head was enough to erase that memory," was the reply.

"Good thing that your brain is so large, otherwise it would've been knocked out of your head," Gai grinned, earning him a soft push against his arm from Goh and a pull at his hair from Shin. "What? That's a good thing, right?"

"That's another way to look at it," Shin chuckled, while Rei carefully sat down next to him. At the last moment, his leg gave out and he dropped against his friend. "Rei? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," the purple-haired angel smiled sheepishly, moving a bit to sit up straight. Ruka already sat down at his other side, gently placing an arm around the smaller angel's shoulders. Yuda did the same with Shin, while Goh and Gai sat down too. Rei saw the small blonde moving as close to Goh as possible without it getting awkward, but the brunette didn't even seem to notice. He wasn't sure about their feelings, but he hoped that those two would have a good talk sometime. After all, it would be nice if they'd find love too, especially since they saw everyday how happy the other four were with their beloved ones.

Letting out a yawn, Rei leaned against Ruka. Just before he closed his mouth, though, a piece of dried meat was shoved inside, making him cough. "Ruka! You don't like me, do you?" He tried to glare at the silver-haired angel, but couldn't refrain from laughing. "Geez, I'll take my revenge once."

"I know," the taller angel grinned, before kissing Rei's throat. When the purple-haired angel almost chocked on his meat in response, he patted him on the back. "Sorry, couldn't stop myself. And in case you haven't noticed, you should eat."

"You got the hint through to me when you force-fed me that piece of meat," Rei responded dryly. After some moments, when he was sure that Ruka wasn't paying attention any longer, he quickly took a new piece of dried meat between his teeth. "Ruka?" he managed to mumble.

"Yeah?" Before even be able to turn his head fully, the silver-haired angel received a kiss onto his lips, barely able to swallow the large piece of meat that suddenly got pushed into his mouth. "Ouch… What was that for?"

"Payback." A wide grin. "What, didn't you like my revenge?"

"Well…" Chuckling softly, Ruka caressed the smaller angel's cheek. "I can't say that I particularly dislike it."

* * *

**Ouch… even writing about Rei's injury hurt my leg XD I've never broken a leg myself, so that's why there wasn't a detailed description of the pain… not really considering trying it either XD**

**I'll update in a week, hopefully (things are kinda busy with school)^^**


	19. Watching you

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

Dinner went quickly, even though there was no particular need to hurry. Well, there wasn't any particular need not to hurry either, Rei supposed. After all, dried meat was all they had been eating for the past two days, and they'd be eating for at least another full week. After that, they'd have to hope for demonic bugs and other creatures from Hell, to have something to eat. Surely they'd miss the dried meat, when that time would come. Letting out a tired sigh, he decided to just stop thinking about it. They had enough to worry about each moment, it'd be useless to worry about things that were still days away from now.

"Yuda? Is something wrong?" he heard Shin asking. Curiously, he looked at the red-haired angel, and understood his friend's worry. Even though Yuda was currently trying to convince Shin that everything was fine, it was obvious that he was in pain. No, please don't let it be because he carried me, Rei begged inwardly.

"The rocks did hit you?" Goh asked, a hint of guilt audible in his voice.

"What rocks?" Rei asked, looking at the brunette. "What did Shin and me miss?"

After a short explanation, Shin practically pushed his beloved one against the wall to check up on him. Pulling down Yuda's robe a bit, he let out a soft gasp. "Your shoulder is all purple and blue! Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's not broken or dislocated or anything, only bruised. It'll be healed within a few days, so don't worry," Yuda tried to reassure him, quickly pulling his robe back straight. "It didn't even hurt until we sat down and I didn't have to move my shoulder anymore."

"It got stiff, that's logical," Shin nodded. "Still, it'll hurt when you'll have to use your arm tomorrow."

"Only for some minutes, then it won't be stiff anymore."

"Moron."

"Sorry."

Shin just glared at his angel for a moment, then leaned over and kissed him onto his lips. "Geez, pay more attention to yourself next time."

"Two certain angels with cracked skulls and broken legs required more attention," Yuda responded dryly, gently caressing the smaller angel's head.

Rei couldn't help but to smile softly at how cute those two looked together, although the reminder of how his leg had been made him shiver for a moment. Concussions and open wounds were certainly preferred over open fractures, he decided for himself. At least it didn't hurt anymore. Moving his leg a bit, he noticed that it did still feel numb, however. Hopefully that'd be fully gone by the time morning came.

"Does your leg still feel strange?" Ruka asked him worriedly. When Rei nodded silently, the silver-haired angel moved a bit and took the smaller angel's leg onto his lap. "Maybe this'll help, then." Gently rubbing at Rei's leg, he looked at his angel's face and smiled. "No need to blush, I'm trying to help."

"I know. It just feels weird," Rei mumbled, trying to hide his face behind his hair. He saw Ruka looking at him unsurely, and added quietly; "It does help, though. Thanks." At that, his beloved one smiled happily and for the next few minutes kept rubbing Rei's leg. Meanwhile, the purple-haired angel was starting to get trouble keeping his eyes open, leaning as comfortable as possible against the cave's wall. Just when his eyes drifted shut again, the voices of his friends fading out, he felt two strong arms gently being wrapped around him.

"Tired?" Ruka whispered softly in his ear.

"Yeah, I guess." Opening his eyes a bit, Rei looked around. Shin was already asleep against Yuda's shoulder, while the red-haired angel seemed to be half-asleep already himself. Goh was teasing Gai, while the blonde teased him back with an attitude like a playful cat. And Ruka was sitting against the wall, Rei comfortably in his arms. "It seems almost peaceful," the smaller angel mumbled. "Except for the fact that we need to guard each other."

"Well, you have the last shift. So there's time enough for you to sleep," Ruka replied. "Besides, we'll really have a reason to complain when we reach the most dangerous circles. Then we'll have to have two guards at a time."

"Yeah, I can barely wait," Rei responded sarcastically. Then he let out a deep sigh and relaxed against his angel. "At least we can still enjoy a relatively good night of sleep now."

"Indeed." A tender kiss was placed onto his forehead. "And I can enjoy how beautiful you look when you're sleeping."

"Oh, right. You have the first shift tonight," Rei remembered finally. "I really don't understand how you can still be so awake, even after today's events."

"I only fought, you got injured. I guess injuries, even if they get healed by Yuda, just take more energy than fighting. Either way, there's no need to even think about that, you'd better listen to your body and go to sleep. I'll be watching over you."

"Mmh… I know." Closing his eyes, he yawned. In response, Ruka started caressing his arm softly, and the purple-haired angel drifted off to sleep within minutes.

"Rei?" Someone gently shook at his shoulder. "Rei, please wake up."

"Shin? It's my turn already?" Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and saw his friend leaning over him, smiling softly.

"It is, sorry. How is your leg doing?"

Carefully, Rei moved it a bit while trying not to wake up Ruka. "The numbness is almost completely gone, luckily. And how about you?"

"I'm fine, now that I'm not freezing anymore," Shin replied, while sitting back down next to Yuda, carefully leaning against the red-haired angel. "At least we'll be well-prepared for any more trouble we might encounter." A worried glance towards his beloved one. "I just hope that those bruises won't give Yuda any discomfort."

"It'll be stiff, that's for sure. But if he makes sure to move it a bit before we go into the next circle, I'm sure he'll be fine," Rei tried to comfort him. Shin only nodded. "Anyhow, you still have some time to sleep, so you shouldn't be keeping yourself awake."

"I know." Closing his eyes, the blue-haired angel relaxed against Yuda. "See you in the morning."

"Sleep well," Rei responded quietly. After some minutes of silence, he turned a bit to watch Ruka. The silver-haired angel was sleeping quietly, silvery eyelashes almost touching his cheeks. So cute, Rei thought with a smile. Gently, he touched those soft eyelashes, enjoying the fact that his beloved only sighed softly but wasn't disturbed by it. "Mmh…" Letting out another sigh, Ruka stirred a bit to get closer against Rei. Tenderly, the smaller angel kissed his cheek, getting a sleepy smile in return. "Mmh… Rei…"

"I'm here, just sleep," Rei whispered, hoping he hadn't disturbed his beloved one. Luckily, Ruka kept leaning against him comfortably, and didn't wake up. Still, Rei decided it'd probably be better not to touch him again, for now, so he wouldn't accidentally wake up his angel. Even though he knew Ruka wouldn't get angry with him, he did know that the silver-haired angel would be worried that something was wrong with Rei. And the smaller angel would be too shy to immediately admit that he didn't seek comfort or anything, but just hadn't been able to stop himself from touching the beautiful angel sleeping so peacefully.

During quests and such, the silver-haired angel was so strong and beautiful and friendly, that it seemed impossible to Rei for anyone to dislike him. There were rare times, though, when he loved looking at his angel even more. When Ruka was sleeping, vulnerable and almost innocent, he could be so unbelievably cute. This was such a time, undoubtedly.

In silence, Rei wished the rest of the night would last as long as possible. If only to be able to keep this feeling of peace for as long as possible, this false feeling of safety, before they'd have to go on and face another circle of Hell. There wasn't much of a choice, either they'd defeat the evil or the world as they knew would end. Still, he couldn't help but to wish they could go back. Not only because, for an angel, Hell was the worst possible place to be. Not only because he hated seeing his friends get hurt, and didn't particularly like getting hurt himself either. Not even because the lowest circles and the largest evil waiting at the bottom could end their lives.

No, what he feared most was when they'd get to the part that Ruka and Yuda would recognize. How would they react when those horrible memories would practically be forced upon them? Would they fight it? Would they cry? Would they be able to bear it for long enough to get passed those places? Rei never wanted to see Ruka so hurt and desperate ever again, that one time when they had fought had been enough. Besides, that time it had been necessary to get him and Yuda back to the good side. This time, it felt so cruel to force those two to face their memories again, since it didn't have any use. It was inevitable to go through those places of Hell, though. It would be better if they'd just get through it quickly, to get it over with. Part of him, though, felt like desperately pushing away the moment that they'd reach those lower circles.

Shaking his head to fight off those thoughts, he looked at his sleeping friends to distract himself. Shin was leaning against Yuda's shoulder, while the red-haired angel was slumped against the wall. Goh sat in the same position as Yuda, Gai leaning against him just a bit. And Ruka still leaned against Rei, breathing softly against the smaller angel's skin. He seemed to be dreaming now, those silvery eyelashes trembling every now and then. "What are you dreaming about?" Rei whispered, quiet enough not to be heard by anyone. His beloved didn't give any hint, too bad that he didn't have a habit of talking in his sleep. And despite his curiosity, Rei knew it wouldn't be appreciated if he'd wake his angel just to ask him what he was dreaming about.

Letting out a deep sigh, Ruka turned a bit and nearly fell down on Rei's lap. Quickly, the purple-haired angel threw his arms around him to steady him. In response, the taller angel snuggled against him, sluggishly wrapping an arm around Rei's slender waist. "Ruka… you're heavy." As carefully as he could, Rei lowered his beloved one onto his lap. Ruka didn't seem to mind at all, and merely curled up a bit before sleeping on peacefully. Smiling gently, Rei started caressing his angel's cheeks and hair.

Some hours later, when it was time to get up and eat some breakfast, Rei gently woke up his friends. Slowly, Ruka opened his eyes when the smaller angel shook at his shoulder. "Mmh… Good morning," he mumbled, slowly sitting up.

"Good morning," Rei grinned. "Slept well?" His beloved one nodded, but before he could return the question Rei asked quickly; "What did you dream about?"

"Eh? I don't remember," Ruka replied. "Was I dreaming?"

"Yeah. I was kinda bored while sitting guard… and watching you sleep is a pretty nice way to spend time." A shy smile. "I could tell from how your eyelashes trembled every now and then."

His beloved one stared at him, his cheeks a soft tint of pink. "Ah…" was the only comment he seemed to be able to think of.

"You're so cute when you're sleeping." Enthusiastically, Rei hugged his angel.

Finally, Ruka chuckled. "Well, you are always cute."

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**A bit of a pointless chapter, I admit, but I didn't have much time to write last week (vacation, going shopping, helping out at the local petting zoo…)  
Anyhow, I hope it was fun to read anyway ;)**

**I'll update again next week^^**


	20. Fight

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

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After a quick breakfast, they silently left the small passage to step into the fourth circle of Hell. Rei couldn't help but to pause for a moment when he saw what was inside. Although in the shape of a spiral leading downwards to the next circle, the souls were all gathered at one particularly steep and wide part of the path. The fog and distance made it impossible to see what they were doing there, though, and Rei hoped dearly that they hadn't gathered to attack the angels.

"Why are they all there?" Ruka asked, the question directed mostly towards Shin.

Indeed, as usual, the blue-haired angel knew the answer. "Some of the books mentioned that they had to atone for committing the sin of greed, by pushing heavy moneybags up a hill. That must be the steep part of the path, but it's an impossible task, which they shall try to fulfill for eternity."

"Geez, sounds like Rei's struggle to make me stop eating fried chicken," Gai teased, obviously trying to relieve the tension. It did earn him some chuckles, and a smack at his head from Rei.

The farther they proceeded, though, the more tense they became. Hopefully, if they wouldn't disturb the souls' impossible task, the souls wouldn't attack or even truly notice them. There was a chance, however, that the convicted souls would get blinded by greed when seeing the angels. After all, the only thing usually here were those dusty brown bags. This would be the first time in centuries that there would be a new thing in this place. And that, Rei knew all too well, was what he and his friends were considered here. 'Things'. Meaningless things, things to fight against, things to fight about. But if they'd make a mistake and let any convicted soul get the better of them, those souls would show no mercy at all.

"Let's walk in a line, but keep close to each other. And whatever you do, don't touch their bags," Shin warned, this time stepping before Yuda and walked first in line. Rei could tell from the red-haired angel's face that he'd rather walk in front of his beloved one to shield him. But it had been clear since this morning that the bruised shoulder was bothering Yuda, and they couldn't risk him and his gift of healing. Besides, if the situation would turn bad, they'd all be in trouble. No matter where they walked.

Still, Rei felt safer when Ruka gently took hold of his hand. Even though he was walking before the purple-haired angel, he seemed to know by instinct where the smaller angel was exactly. It made him feel happy and strangely proud. Only allowing himself a short moment to enjoy those feelings, he pushed them to the back of his mind and instead concentrated on their path and the convicted souls.

Gai, at the same moment, couldn't seem to force his attention towards the souls. Which might be because a certain brunette was walking behind him and reassuringly touched his arm every now and then. Okay, not that he disliked being touched by Goh. But it was rather distracting. When again the taller angel's hand brushed against his own, he automatically grabbed it and felt Goh stiffen a bit in surprise. At least, Gai hoped it was only surprise. Whatever it was, his friend relaxed a bit and, more importantly, didn't pull back his hand.

So far so good, the souls didn't seem to notice them yet. The angels were almost at the place where they had gathered, though, making Gai feel increasingly uncomfortable. He wasn't the only one, obviously, as his friends all unconsciously stepped closer to each other. Almost there, only a few feet left now. It seemed to go well, the souls kept concentrated only on their useless task. Almost past them… Almost. Gai saw it coming before it happened. A gust of wind suddenly swept past them, making their clothes wave a little bit. Just enough for Rei's robe to brush through a convicted soul.

The soul looked up immediately, glowing but yet non-existing eyes fixated on the purple-haired angel. Unable to stifle a startled gasp, Gai inadvertently got the attention of some other souls. "Oh, crap," he mumbled, for once not getting reprimanded by Goh for using such language.

"Run!" Yuda hissed, just loud enough for the others to hear. All six of them immediately started running, hoping to reach the end of this circle before the greedy souls would reach for them. Just when a large wall, probably the exit, came in sight, Gai heard a muffled scream behind him and felt Goh letting go of his hand.

Without even thinking, the blonde stopped running and turned around, seeing his friend being grabbed by the edge of his robe by some of the souls. Immediately, Gai did the only thing he could think of, which was manipulating the ground to make a wall between his friend and the souls. To get it actually between them, though, he didn't have any choice but to scratch Goh's legs with the rocks. His friend obviously didn't mind, as he jumped forward and grabbed Gai's hand again, pulling him along while he started running again. Quickly, the blonde picked up the pace, and they reached their friends within seconds.

"Hurry!" Rei practically begged Shin, as the convicted souls came speeding towards them. As fast as he could, the blue-haired angel said the spell and opened the entrance to the fifth circle. This time, with the souls almost at their heels, the cave wall closed behind them within only a mere moment. "Goh, are you all right?" Ruka asked then.

The brunette nodded, but Gai responded; "He has scratches on his legs from the wall I made. Sorry."

"For saving me?" Goh chuckled softly and petted the smaller angel's hair. "Don't mind the scratches, and thanks for saving me."

"Anytime," Gai grinned, hoping that no one would notice the faint blush on his cheeks. Luckily, no one paid attention to him while Yuda quickly healed the scratches on the brunette's legs. He did know for sure, though, that everyone had noticed the red-haired angel wincing as he leaned down.

"Yuda, how is your shoulder doing?" Shin asked worriedly.

"Stiff. And a bit swollen, I think." His beloved one sent him a reassuring smile. "It'll be fine within a few days, though." Carefully, he stood back up and tried not to show any pain. Still, Shin could tell from the way Yuda's body tensed, that the angel's shoulder did hurt. "So, shall we have a quick lunch and then go through the fifth circle?" Yuda suggested, changing the subject.

"Yeah, lunch!" Gai immediately responded. No one disagreed with eating, so for a few minutes they paused in the small passage. Unable not to notice, Shin saw how little food Yuda was eating, and gently talked him into eating a bit more. Even lifting up his arm appeared to hurt the red-haired angel, and that worried Shin. Even though Yuda was doing his best not to let it show, the smaller angel knew his beloved one well enough to spot even the smallest signs of discomfort.

"Yuda, isn't there any way to make your shoulder heal faster?" he asked softly.

"No. I can't heal myself," his angel replied just as soft. "It's not a serious injury, Shin. So don't worry too much about it."

"In this place, even a small injury could end up lethal," Shin responded, slowly taking hold of Yuda's hand. "It'd be just as terrible to lose you due to a small injury, as due to a large one." Letting out a sigh, he looked his angel in the eyes. "Sorry for keeping on nagging about it. It's just… When I get hurt, you can heal me. But if you get hurt, there's barely anything that I can do to make it heal."

"Shin…" At a loss for words, Yuda wrapped his arms around the smaller angel and kissed him gently. In response, Shin cuddled against him for a moment, before realizing that their friends were sitting here too and could see everything. Blushing a bit, he pulled back. Still, he finally felt a smile appearing on his face. Yuda always seemed to know how to make him feel better. He could only hope that he managed to do the same in return. To judge by the happy look in Yuda's eyes, Shin had succeeded at that.

"If everyone is done eating, shall we move on?" Goh suggested.

Shin nodded. "If we stay here for much longer, we'll have to hurry to get through the fifth circle before nightfall." Quickly, all leftovers of the food were repacked and everyone had taken their own bag. With Yuda up front, they walked towards the end of the passage.

"What was the fifth circle?" Rei asked nervously.

"The wrathful and sullen," Shin responded quietly. "They probably won't be more violent towards us than any other convicted soul. The true danger will be the atmosphere. It has been known for causing traveling groups to break apart."

"How?" Yuda asked.

"Because they fought among each other. There's something lingering in the fifth circle, that caused unfriendly feelings to rise, and lessens the urge not to voice them," the blue-haired angel explained.

"Whatever happens, we have to consciously make sure to keep nice to each other," Ruka said. "We only have each other."

Indeed, the strange tension in the air was almost palpable as soon as they walked in. Unable to stop a shiver from going through his body, Yuda tensed a bit when his shoulder gave a painful sting. Hopefully it'd be better tomorrow, since the pain was starting to slow him down. Determined not to let his friends notice, he straightened his back and walked on at a steady pace, the other angels following.

Soon, soft growls and whines of convicted souls filled the air and little time later they walked between heaps of fighting souls. They didn't seem particularly violent, though, as it kept to making threatening sounds. Still, the burning hate for everything around them, was clearly in the air around them. Especially Ruka seemed to be affected by it, the silver-haired angel was trembling almost unnoticeably. Although useful most of the time, on occasions like this it probably wasn't too nice to have the gift of empathy. Even without touching the souls, he must feel their hatred even more than the other angels did.

Almost tripping suddenly, he moved his arms to keep his balance, wincing as a throbbing pain went through his shoulder. Okay, he couldn't hide the fact that it hurt for much longer. As discretely as possible, he moved so he ended up walking behind his friends, but next to Shin. Usually, he preferred leading the others, so he could try to protect his friends if possible. But at the time, he had to admit that he would only slow them down and make them all more vulnerable by walking in front of them.

"Yuda? How is your shoulder?" the smaller angel asked softly, giving him a worried glance.

"It's currently hating me," the red-haired angel responded dryly, which earned him a slight glare. "Sorry, I'm fine." A bit surprised, he saw the somewhat annoyed look in his beloved one's eyes. When he saw Rei and Ruka not holding hands anymore, and Gai and Goh walking a bit apart from each other and the group, he realized why. The atmosphere of this place was getting to them. Not good, definitely not good. Another wince as his shoulder throbbed, and this time it just earned him a snappy 'be careful!' from his angel. Despite knowing it wasn't truly Shin's fault, he couldn't help feeling a bit hurt.

Suddenly, he saw Rei tripping and being caught by Ruka. "Watch out where you walk!"

"Don't treat me like a child!" Rei snapped back.

"Guys, don't let this place get to you," Yuda tried to warn, but that only caused both Rei and Ruka to snap at him not to interfere. Which caused Goh to snap at them not to be unfriendly, ironically, and that earned him an unfriendly remark from Shin that he should let people defend themselves. Then Gai snapped at Shin not to snap at Goh, and somehow all the angels started arguing with each other. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Yuda just kept quiet, realizing that whatever he'd say, it would only make things worse.

Really, he almost felt glad about injuring his shoulder, as the pain evidently was the only reason that he wasn't affected by the atmosphere of this place. It was enough of a distraction not to have time to feel agitated. The others, though, only seemed to get more and more affected. When Rei suddenly slapped Ruka in the face, Yuda could only watch as things finally escalated. Ruka and Rei practically jumped each other, causing Shin to jump in to help Rei, and then Goh and Gai mingled in too.

"Stop fighting!" Yuda yelled, getting completely ignored. Damn, this way they'd end up just like the other traveling groups who had failed to get through this place. "Hey!" Again, it went ignored. Only one choice left, he had to somehow get them to stop hitting each other, without adding to the fight. Sadly, he could think of only one way to manage that, and he could merely hope that they weren't too far gone already for this to work.

Without thinking, he jumped in front of a knocked aimed at Shin, and from that point tried to prevent as many attacks as possible from hitting their intended target. For a moment, it seemed to work when no one besides him got hit anymore. Then, without even having seen it coming, he felt a hard punch against his already injured shoulder. Unable to keep from crying out in pain, he grabbed his shoulder, only causing himself more pain and completely distracting him from the fight. Someone hit him in the face, and in a reflex he hit back. Bad idea, now all of them started fighting again, but this time with Yuda trapped in the middle.

"Stop it!" the red-haired angel yelled, trying desperately to shield himself from the attacks. "Please, stop! We're not here to fight each other, remember?" A hard kick against his shoulder almost made him scream. "Stop!" Too late, he realized that the atmosphere of this place was finally getting to him, rendering him unable to stop himself from attacking in defense. Using all strength he could gather, he practically bombed his friends with an energy beam, not strong enough to do any harm but enough to knock them out for a few moments.

"Sorry," he whispered, when the light faded and he saw the other angels lying on the ground, already waking up again. Shin was the first to sit up, blinking a few times before looking at Yuda. Guilt suddenly overflowed those golden eyes when he obviously realized what had happened. Noticing briefly that Hell seemed to be spinning slightly, Yuda gave him a faint but reassuring smile. Then, his eyes slid shut and the last thing he heard was his beloved one crying out his name.

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**Poor Yuda… **

**I'll update again next week^^**


	21. Almost peaceful

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Okay, I have 3 reasons to be so late with this chapter… A lame one, a good one and a stupid one XD  
Reason 1: I was lazy and had a lot of schoolwork, so I couldn't finish the chapter within a week after the last one.  
Reason 2: Last weekend I was staying at a friend's house, because we went to the Dutch version of Yaoicon =D It was awesome! I didn't have a cosplay yet (it was the first convention I ever went to). But I'm planning on going dressed like Rei at the next convention I can go to^-^  
Reason 3: Well… I just looked over the map of Hell again, and realized I completely forgot to let them cross the Styx… *hides away in embarrassment* So now, I'll have to rewrite the start of this chapter. But at least I noticed it before uploading ^^'**

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Almost in slow-motion, Shin saw Yuda's eyes losing focus and sliding shut, before the red-haired angel's body fell limply onto the ground. "Yuda!" Within a second, he sat at his beloved one's side. "Yuda? Please wake up," he begged, gently shaking his angel's shoulder. Immediately, the taller angel let out a pained gasp, but didn't open his eyes. "Yuda?" The injury on his shoulder, Shin remembered finally. And he also remembered vaguely that he had kicked Yuda against that shoulder. "What… How could I?"

"The atmosphere here. Damn, how could we have let this happen?" Guiltily, Ruka looked at Yuda.

"We have to get out of here quickly," Goh said softly. "Before it gets to us again."

"Why didn't it get to him?" Rei asked, worriedly looking at Yuda.

"Because the pain of that injury distracted me enough," the red-haired angel replied, before opening his eyes. "Sorry for knocking you all out, by the way."

"Yuda… Moron!" Ignoring his angel's gasp of pain, Shin hugged him tightly. "Next time, knock us out before we get the chance to hurt you! Do you realize that we could have all killed each other if you would've been caught up in that unreasonable anger too?"

"S-sorry?" Yuda mumbled, unsurely wrapping his arms around Shin.

"Don't be sorry!"

A faint chuckle. "Then stop sounding like I should apologize. And please, stop squeezing my shoulder. It kinda hurts a lot." The last part came out somewhat choked.

"Did the injury get worse?" Goh asked worriedly, while Shin carefully helped Yuda to sit up. The red-haired angel slowly pulled down his robe a bit to check his shoulder. "Okay, that's enough of an answer," the brunette remarked, seeing the bruised and now also swollen joint. "Can you still move it?"

"Probably. But I'm not too eager to try at the moment," Yuda replied, standing up. "Like you said yourself, we should get out of here. Now."

Slowly, Yuda feeling his shoulder burning with every movement he made, the six angels made their way to the end of this circle. Quickly, Shin said the spell to open an entrance, and they stepped through in silence. Only to stand still on the other side, staring at what was in front of them. A large, roaring river, appearing and disappearing in the darkness. Inside it, strange shadows floated, and an occasional moan was to be heard oven the sound of the streaming water.

"The Styx?" Rei asked quietly, giving Shin a sideway glance. His friend only nodded. "How will we get to the other side? It seems far too rough to swim through it, and I don't think it'd be nice to find out what's hidden in that darkness."

"According to what I read," Shin responded softly, "Whoever gets caught by this river, will be trapped inside it's never ending steam for eternity."

"Including angels, I assume?" Goh remarked. "Looks like swimming indeed won't be an option."

"Flying won't be easy either, the ceiling is quite low," Ruka said. "We could bring one person at a time to the other side, though. Rei?"

"Indeed." Looking at the high waves, almost touching the ceiling, Rei swallowed. "We should try not to get hit by any of those waves. I don't know I'd be able fight through one of those."

"Me neither, but if we're careful I'm sure that can be avoided." Discretely, the silver haired-angel touched the smaller angel's hand for a moment. "We can do it."

"Then you might better take Gai and Shin first. They weight the littlest of the rest of us, so that should be the easiest," Goh suggested.

Taking a deep breath, Rei brought out his wings, being reminded by a vague stinging that they were still hurt slightly. "Shin? Do you trust me enough?"

"You should know the answer," the blue-haired angel responded with a soft smile. "Have some self-confidence." Rei felt a faint smile appearing briefly on his face, and gently took his friend into his arms. Immediately, Shin wrapped his arms around his friend's neck, holding on tightly.

"Gai, can you live with having me as your flyer?" Ruka asked.

"I'll have to," Gai sighed teasingly.

"Well, the worst that can happen is me dropping you," Ruka responded dryly, while picking up the small blonde.

Flying went better than expected, though Rei did have a few near-panic moments, when waves suddenly came right for him, but managed to escape from getting hit just in time. When he gotten back to the other side, though, he couldn't help but to feel nervousness rising again. How was he supposed to carry someone taller than himself over the Styx? He'd just have to find a way, he supposed. It wasn't like there was another option. Still, looking at his friends, he suddenly felt all his self-assurance fading.

"So… which one of us would be heavier?" Yuda asked Goh sheepishly.

"I'm not sure," came the reply. "But… I think you did lose some weight since… all that happened." Unsurely, Goh looked at Yuda.

"I know," the red-haired angel admitted quietly, not looking back at him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"Don't worry, you didn't." Letting out a soft sigh, Yuda finally looked back at him. "I'm just a bit surprised that you actually noticed."

"We're all living together, of course I noticed," Goh replied softly. "Either way, it might be better if Rei carries you."

Yuda nodded, then looked at Rei. "Sounds fine," the purple-haired angel agreed. "Just make sure not to let go of me, despite your injury."

"Don't worry," his friend smiled. "Just concentrate on keeping in the air."

Rei nodded, and carefully wrapped his arms around Yuda's waist. He felt the taller angel tensing in pain when he had to wrap his arms around Rei's neck, but he managed not to loosen his grip when they got off the ground. As fast as he could, Rei managed to fly over the Styx again, Yuda's weight dragging him down a bit, but determined to reach the other side as quickly as possible. Even though the red-haired angel was undoubtedly strong, Rei didn't want him to have to aggravate his injury further than absolutely necessary.

A high wave shot towards them, and while Ruka sped up to escape it, Rei could only dive sideways to get away from it. In his arms, he felt Yuda wincing in pain at that abrupt movement. "Sorry," he apologized quickly. Yuda hissed something back that sounded vaguely like 'I'm fine'. By which Rei could tell that he had to land as soon as he could, before the pain would become too much for the red-haired angel. Ruka was already landing, and Rei followed, smoothly avoiding a smaller wave.

"Yuda?" the purple-haired angel asked worriedly, when the taller angel kept holding on to him. "Can you still move your shoulder?"

"Y-yes. I think." A quiet whimper escaped him when he put down his arm. "Still, I don't think this did any good to it, even though you've been really careful."

"We only have to walk a little bit further, then we can rest for the night in that passage over there," Shin pointed, gently taking his angel's hand. "You should really give your shoulder some rest."

"It doesn't hurt that much," Yuda responded, not looking at his beloved one.

"It does. I can see it by the way you look." Tenderly, Shin stroked Yuda's cheek, and Rei felt almost happy to see that he wasn't the only one who could blush embarrassingly. Yuda's cheeks went as red as his hair, under his beloved one's touch. "You're sweaty and pale. Well, you were pale."

"Thanks for calling me sweaty," Yuda responded dryly, gently taking Shin's hand and pulling it away from his face. "Please stop worrying. It hurts, I'll admit that, but it isn't like it's a serious injury." Softly, he kissed the smaller angel. "You know I'll be fine, right?"

"I do," Shin sighed. "Still, let's hurry and get to that passage."

Despite what he had said, Yuda felt his shoulder burning with every step he took. When they reached the passage, his legs practically gave way, sending him to the ground with a soft thud. "Yuda?" Worriedly, his friends sat down with him, and Shin carefully examined the taller angel's shoulder.

"I'm fine." He heard how strained his own voice sounded. "Shin, no need to push at it. I'm sure it's not broken."

"Maybe eating will distract you from the pain," Goh suggested, while the other angels already unpacked bits of dried meat. Although he had to admit that he didn't exactly feel hungry, Yuda forced himself to eat a bit anyway. Moving his neck or left arm, at the side of his injured shoulder, just hurt too badly right now, to keep any appetite.

"Wait… Let me help," Shin suddenly said softly, taking the piece of meat from Yuda's hand and feeding him. "This way you won't have to hurt yourself."

"T-thanks," Yuda mumbled, feeling how his cheeks started to imitate the color of his hair. Okay, it did help. But to be hand-fed by his beloved one was kind of… awkward. Not really in a bad way, though. He couldn't help but to chuckle when Shin's cheeks turned just as red. "You're so cute."

"You're even cuter, being fed like a puppy," Shin retorted. In response, Yuda quickly put his hands on his angel's shoulders and licked him over his cheek. "Yuda. S-stop it… you…" The rest of that line went down in laughter. "Bad puppy!" At that, Yuda just grinned and leaned against him a bit. "And you're a hurt puppy, so sit."

Fake pouting, the red-haired angel sat back against the wall. "I can bite, you know?"

"Bite this," Shin chuckled, shoving a piece of meat into his beloved one's mouth. Carefully, Yuda took it without actually biting his angel's fingers, not meaning to risk hurting him. When Shin petted him on the head and called him a 'good boy', though, he couldn't help but to imitate a puppy growling. "Puppy hit puberty?"

"Arf!" At that bark, the other four angels grinned too, and Yuda quickly looked away to hide his embarrassment.

"So, are you sure you didn't hurt your head too?" Ruka informed dryly.

"Pretty sure, why?" Yuda responded, trying to look as clueless as he could. As a result, his friend threw a small rock at him. "Did you expect me to retrieve that?"

"Idiot," Ruka grinned.

Rei listened quietly to the 'conversation', smiling softly. Still, despite how care-free Yuda was acting, the pain was faintly visible in his eyes. Shin obviously noticed that too, having fun with his angel but clearly being careful not to touch him too harshly. Well, at least Yuda seemed to feel a lot better than he had earlier, which was a relieve. It really was a problem, at times like these, that the red-haired angel couldn't heal himself. If he'd get seriously injured, too badly to be able to travel on, it would almost certainly end up fatal. After all, five angels protecting another one, would be no match for an upper-class demon. The Cerberus, for example, had managed to injure them badly, and that had been while they were all in perfect shape.

"Rei?" Gently, Ruka wiped some purple strands of hair away from the smaller angel's face. "Already done eating?"

"Yeah," Rei nodded. "Too bad I can't cook anything here, dried meat three times per day is starting to get boring."

"'Starting'? It was already annoying after day two," Gai responded. "I want fish!"

"Didn't that get annoying too?" Goh commented dryly. "Be glad that we still have food left, when we're out of dried meat we'll have to eat whatever we can find here."

"All demons and demonic bugs and so, seemed to be in the deepest circles. With some luck, we'll have enough food for another day," Shin remarked.

"Those things taste horrible," Yuda groaned.

"Still, it's better than starving," Rei replied. "And when we get back home, I'll cook whatever we want."

"Nice motivation to succeed on this assignment," Ruka grinned, playing with some strands of Rei's hair. While the others chatted on for a bit, Rei pulled Ruka's ponytail from between the angel's back and the wall. "Revenge?" Ruka chuckled.

"No, just a good idea." Lazily leaning his head on his beloved one's shoulder, he started braiding a strand of his own hair and one of Ruka's together. "Mmh, the feather on my necklace gets warm when we're touching," he sighed contently.

"Mine too," Ruka nodded. "Makes it even nicer to touch you."

Rei felt his cheeks heating up, as usual, but smiled shyly. That was yet another reason why he couldn't wait to have this assignment finished. Then, when they'd be back home, they'd finally have some private time together again. Even snuggling against each other felt somewhat awkward, when they both knew that their friends were there to see it. Sure, no one would think of them as weird or annoying, but still it just didn't feel completely comfortable. After all, Rei had never been one to do anything private in public.

Looking around, though, he felt his shyness fading when he saw Yuda and Shin. The red haired-angel was leaning against his beloved one, while Shin gently petted him, apparently still not done with the 'puppy' joke. It looked pretty cute, however, and it made Rei feel a lot less self-conscious about himself and Ruka.

Some hours later, after chatting randomly about anything that came to mind, Rei felt Ruka leaning against him more and more heavily. "You still awake?" he asked softly, looking at his angel. Ruka smiled sleepily in response and nodded, before closing his eyes. Gently, Rei wrapped an arm around his beloved one's waist, pulling him a bit closer. Letting out a content sigh, Ruka relaxed against him. Despite the urge to snuggle against him, Rei decided on just keeping quiet and allowing the silver-haired angel to fall asleep. In the end, he drifted off to sleep himself, even before Ruka did.

Silently, Shin watched his friends fall asleep one by one, and tried hard not to yawn. Having the first shift as a guard meant that he wouldn't have to get up in the middle of the night, but it wasn't easy to stay awake after such a long day. Especially not while he was currently petting Yuda to sleep like he was a puppy. Honestly, his angel truly was cute like this, leaning against him and visibly enjoying Shin's gentle touch. Yawning against his own will, he averted his gaze towards the cave's wall, deciding it was better not to watch sleeping people while trying to stay awake.

Looking at a stone wall prove to be just as bad of an idea. Barely able to keep his eyes open, he shook his head. Which only made him slightly dizzy. Geez, why didn't Yuda have extremely long hair? Then he would've been able to braid it to have something to do. Suddenly, his angel sighed deeply and curled up against him a bit, visibly drifting off to sleep. Quickly, Shin looked away, knowing he'd fall asleep too otherwise. And his shift wouldn't be over until after an hour and a half from now.

"I have to stay awake," he whispered to himself, hoping it would somehow force his body to obey. Too bad that his mind was already drifting off too. Maybe he should walk around for a bit. On second thought, maybe not. It'd probably wake up his friends, and it would definitely wake up Yuda if he'd stand up now.

What else was there to do? Anything that wouldn't make noise, but would be enough to keep him awake, would be fine. Too bad that he couldn't think of anything. Feeling his eyes falling shut, he roughly pulled at his own hair, successfully waking himself up again. Still, if he'd have to keep doing that for one and a half hour, he'd have a bad headache tomorrow. And a lot less hair, he realized when he saw a few blue hairs in his hand. Letting out a soft chuckle, he dropped them on the ground, deciding to keep trying to think of a better way to stay awake.

"Mmh… what?" Rei moaned, when Shin finally woke him to take over the job of guarding the others.

"It's your turn." Letting out a sigh, the blue-haired angel added; "I guess the last circle we went through, really was tiring."

"Indeed." Slowly, Rei sat up. Only to have his friend suddenly dropping into his arms. "S-Shin?" he stammered startled, carefully holding him.

"Sorry. So sleepy…" Letting out another deep sigh, Shin curled up on Rei's lap, obviously barely awake anymore.

"I'll just put you down against Yuda," the purple-haired angel grinned. "Otherwise he'll get lonely."

"Mmh…'kay." The other angel was asleep before Rei gently sat him down against the wall and leaned him carefully against Yuda. The red-haired angel sighed softly and moved a bit closer against the smaller angel, while Rei silently went back to him own place against Ruka.

"Rei? Is it already morning?" the taller angel groaned softly, practically burying himself against Rei's chest. "I don't wanna get up."

"Don't worry, you can sleep for a few more hours," Rei whispered in his beloved one's ear. "It's not even close to morning."

"Then why are you awake?"

"It's my turn to be guard. Now go back to sleep, my angel." Tenderly, Rei gave Ruka a kiss onto his head, feeling the taller angel relax again. Good, it would be of no use if both of them would be awake. Besides, at the moment he'd rather liked being 'alone' for a while. Of course, he loved being with his friends, especially with Ruka who was a lot more than a friend, but still. He also liked being alone occasionally. Just thinking, sitting in the sun, socializing with birds. Two out of those three were impossible at the moment, but thinking was always possible. Or just daydreaming. Well, in this case just dreaming without going to sleep, actually.

For some reason, his thoughts went back to the injured bird that he had ended in the backyard. He realized suddenly, that it had been one of the last birds he personally had socialized with, before going on this assignment. Despite the fact that putting it out of its misery had been best for the small animal, Rei couldn't help but to feel a faint pang of guilt at the memory. Hopefully, the bird had made friends in heaven by now. He had to admit, the option to go search for it when they'd get out of here, was comforting in a way.

Still, that wasn't something to worry about for now. Those were worries for later, when they'd be out of Hell, and safely back home. For now, however, he'd rather just worry about nothing, and enjoy the peacefulness of this moment. His friends were all deep asleep, and if he forgot the fact that they were in Hell, this cave almost felt safe. If only there were some animals here, and he'd almost feel happy. Yawning, he realized that he shouldn't allow himself to get too relaxed, though. Easier said than done.

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**Couldn't come up with a good ending for this chapter ^^'**

**I'll update in a week^^ **


	22. Love and loneliness

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

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When morning came, all Rei wanted was to keep curled up in Ruka's arms for a few more minutes. Or hours. Maybe days. Yawning widely, he opened his eyes when his beloved one again called his name. "Mmh… It's too early…"

"Sorry, but it truly is morning already," his angel chuckled. "Come on, wake up."

"I'm talking, so aren't I awake already?" Rei grinned, slowly opening his big dark golden eyes.

"You were mumbling, so I just wanted to be sure." Gently, Ruka placed his hand on the smaller angel's cheek and kissed him deeply. "You look beautiful."

"Eh… t-thanks," Rei stammered, feeling his cheeks heating up. Quickly, he looked down and started fumbling with his hair, trying to get it tugged back behind his tiara like he wanted it too, only his bangs falling in front of his face. Too bad there weren't any showers in Hell, or some shampoo. He should've at least brought a comb along. Honestly, the more he felt at his hair the more gross he felt.

"Rei, none of us has showered since we got here," Ruka remarked, understanding the unhappy look on his angel's face. "You don't look bad at all, considering the situation. Otherwise I wouldn't have called you beautiful, would I?"

"You would, because you don't want to hurt my feelings," Rei replied instantly.

"You don't stink, you don't look gross, so just stop fumbling with your hair." Gently, the taller angel pulled Rei's arms down. "Having some breakfast is more important. The next circle didn't seem too dangerous in the books, so we should be able to get through at least two circles today."

"And after the next circle, we'll get to the hardest circles," Yuda remarked quietly, with a short glance towards Ruka. Returning that glance, the silver-haired angel nodded, knowing exactly what his friend meant by 'hardest'. Those were the deepest circles. The ones with the condemned souls of the humans who had stood up against Zeus. Yuda and him hadn't been confined there, though. They'd been kept in the deepest circle of hell, where the traitors against homeland and kin were imprisoned. Still, Ruka knew the feelings of any souls touching him in the seventh circle, would definitely bring up some horrifying memories. And even without empathy, Yuda would undoubtedly feel the same.

Letting out an inaudible sigh, Ruka shook off those thoughts and unpacked some dried meat. After having eaten that for days, it didn't have much taste left. But it was all they had for now, and it was better than nothing. "We'll only have enough for one more dinner," he remarked, checking his bag.

"Indeed. But from the seventh circle to the ninth, there will be small demonic creatures. We're already sure that they're eatable," Yuda replied.

"You also said they are gross," Gai said.

"Would you rather eat some rocks?" Goh responded to that. "We can't afford not to eat, not while we'll need as much strength as possible to defeat whatever is waiting after the ninth circle."

It went silent after that, each of them trying not to worry too much about what the true identity was of the evil they'd had to defeat. Ruka couldn't suppress a shiver when Rei suddenly leaned against him and breathed out against his neck. "R-Rei? Is something wrong?"

"No, I just felt distracting you from your thoughts. You didn't look too happy with them," the smaller angel explained softly. "Did it work?"

He chuckled softly before replying; "Obviously."

"Good." Smiling, Rei kissed his angel's cheek.

None of the angels was still eating, so the quickly packed the leftovers and stood up. No sounds came from across this small passage, so hopefully that meant something good. Or at least, it meant that there was no growling demonic beast waiting for them. This circle had a certain smell, though. A bad smell which seemed to get worse as the angels came closer to the end of the passage. Shin coughed softly, before saying; "The souls in this circle are eternally captured in burning tombs, that explains this smell."

"Then let's get through here as quickly as possible," Yuda responded, giving his beloved one a worried glance as he coughed again. "You don't sound so well."

"I guess my lungs are just a weak spot, but I'll be fine." The blue-haired angel smiled reassuringly. "Let's just hurry up, these souls won't be able to hurt us anyway."

Quickly, they walked on. The smell only got worse when they stepped fully into the seventh circle, and saw the tombs spread across the landscape, burning with an almost hateful heat. Deep inside them, agonized screams were to be heard, sounding painfully desperate. Trying to ignore it as best as he could, Ruka concentrated on Rei instead. It was a good thing, he supposed, that the souls weren't able to escape from the tombs and touch them. To hear their screams was horrifying enough, he didn't even want to imagine how it would be to actually feel what they felt.

Letting out an inaudible sigh, he blocked away those thoughts and only looked at his angel. Despite the fact that those large eyes held way too much love and tenderness to even remotely fit into a place like Hell, Ruka had to admit that the constant red glow did have a flattering effect on the already beautiful angel. Ironically, since his the element he attacked with was water, in the form of ice. The glow of fire, however, made him look so amazing. Well, Ruka had to admit that Rei looked amazing anywhere, wearing anything. Rei wearing nothing at all was good too.

"Eh, Ruka? Why are you looking at me like that?" the purple-haired angel asked suddenly, looking back at his beloved one with a somewhat unsure look on his face.

Giving him a sheepish smile, Ruka replied; "You're a nicer view than those tombs."

"I'd hope so," Rei responded dryly.

"You know what I mean, my angel." Gently, Ruka took the smaller angel's hand. "Your eyes show everything this place shall never have. Like love." Without even slowing down, he gave the smaller angel a kiss onto his cheek, feeling the grip on his hand tightening from surprise. The smile on his angel's face, though, made it clear that he did appreciate the loving touch.

Yuda smiled softly when he saw Ruka suddenly kissing Rei's cheek. He understood more than anyone how his friend felt, feeling the exact same need for reassurance and love. Although he doubted whether Shin would appreciate an unforeseen kiss at the moment. The blue-haired angel was currently trying visibly to keep his breathing steady, but he was inadvertently panting. "Shin? Are you okay?" Yuda asked discretely, knowing his beloved one didn't want to seem weak.

"I'm fine." A soft cough. "I just feel a little bit… breathless."

"No wonder, around those things," Yuda responded, with a short look at the nearest tomb. The large stone box, engraved with strange markings that were partly hidden by the fire, seemed more threatening than an inanimate object should be. And the smell, indeed, was terrible. Still, Shin appeared to be the only one who was truly affected by it. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, gently wiping Shin's hair away from his face.

"Just… don't walk to fast. I can keep up with this pace, but not any faster."

"Would it help if I'd let you lean on me?"

"It might. But your shoulder…"

"It literally hurts like Hell," Yuda interrupted him. "But having to physically help you, would take my mind off that."

"So I wouldn't make it more difficult on you?" Shin asked, looking up at him worriedly. "I can see in your eyes that you're in pain."

"Shin. Just lean on me. My shoulder will be fine, but I'd honestly panic if you'd faint or anything."

"I won't faint," the smaller angel chuckled. Still, he did finally grab Yuda's uninjured shoulder to steady himself, and allowed his beloved one to wrap an arm around his waist. "Thank you."

"Anytime, my angel," Yuda smiled.

With a soft sting of jealousy, Gai watched the two couples holding on to each other. If he'd try that with Goh, the brunette would definitely think he was only joking. Well, he only had himself to blame, he supposed. He always tried to solve everything with jokes and teasing, no wonder his friends occasionally had some trouble to take him seriously. And besides that, there had always been a spark between Yuda and Shin, and Ruka and Rei. Goh and himself had always been more like brothers. Way closer than simply friends, but so different from being a romantic couple.

"Your left eye looks nicer with this red glow than your right one," he remarked without thinking, eager to start some kind of conversation.

"Eh… Nice to know," Goh responded, giving him a strange look. "Did the bad smell of this place reach your head?"

"No!" Okay, careful, don't respond with a joke. "I just wanted to talk, I guess."

"And that's your way to start a conversation?" Goh chuckled.

"It was half a compliment!" He sighed. "Anyhow…" A short silence, in which Gai uselessly tried to think of something to say. "Never mind," he mumbled finally.

"Is anything wrong?" Goh asked, sounding a bit concerned.

"Not really. I just… want to talk, but I don't know about what." Oh, he did know all too well what he wanted to say to his friend. He didn't think, however, that he'd ever get the courage to tell him how he felt. And Goh didn't seem to notice anything at all. Was he really so good at hiding his true feelings, or did Goh just not care enough to notice them? But usually, the brunet seemed to read him like a book. So why didn't he pick up on what had been bothering Gai for the past weeks?

Maybe he should just be blunt and grab Goh's hand. After all, the other two couples were holding on to each other too. But he was too scared of Goh thinking he was only teasing him. Or worse, Goh forcing himself not to shake off Gai's hand despite disliking it to hold hands with the blonde. Even if the brunette didn't love him, Gai knew how much Goh cared about him as a friend. Too much to ever want to hurt the blonde's feelings. Still, it'd be meaningless if Goh would hold his hand without truly wanting to. That wouldn't be love.

Not knowing if there even was any romantic kind of love from Goh towards the blonde, wasn't too nice of a feeling either, though. Swallowing some of his nervousness, Gai stepped a bit closer towards the one he loved. The brunette didn't seem to notice, keeping his eyes on the burning tombs around them. "G-Goh?" Gai heard himself stuttering, and immediately wished he had just kept quiet.

"Yeah? Is the smell bothering you?" Goh responded, giving him a worried glance.

"No, not really." Crap, he should have said 'yes'. Then at least he would've had a reason for stuttering. "Eh… Any idea how far it is until the end of this circle?"

"Not too far anymore, I guess. The circles appear to get shorter, the lower we get into Hell." Gently, he combed with his fingers through Gai's hair, making it end up right in the smaller angel's face. "Getting nervous about being here?"

"Not really." Quickly brushing his hair out of his face, the blonde added; "Although I'd like to be able to see, while surrounded by convicted souls."

A soft grin. "Sorry, just couldn't stop myself."

Gai couldn't help but to chuckle, despite the fact that he knew it'd be impossible to be taken seriously now. Well, it wasn't like he'd had the courage to grab Goh's hand anyway. Suddenly not feeling like laughing anymore at all, after realizing that, he averted his gaze towards the burning tombs. That wasn't a very appealing sight either, he had to admit. But at least Goh wouldn't be able to see his face while he looked away.

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**Poor Gai… but don't worry, in a few circles we'll get to the point where he and Goh finally get a good chance to talk ;)**

**I'll update in week^^**


	23. Through smoke and flames

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Sorry for not updating last week, but I had a school trip to what Rei would consider heaven on earth: Barneveld. Chickens everywhere, real live ones, statues, pictures, paintings… The whole village seems to have a chicken-fetish, which I think Rei would love ;)  
Ironically, I was there for lessons in wild animal caretaking and working with horses (horseback riding and riding with a carriage) XD**

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Still coughing every now and then, although Yuda felt that Shin appreciated being supported, the blue-haired angel looked around. "Afraid that something will attack us?" the taller angel asked eventually, gently squeezing Shin's thin waist.

"No, I'm just… curious, I guess." A soft sigh, followed by a quiet cough. "This place doesn't seem to obey any laws of nature, it's almost fascinating. Like that fire, the tombs obviously aren't burning away. Therefore, there isn't anything feeding the flames, so the fire should simply die out. Yet, it doesn't."

Yuda only nodded. It truly would be fascinating, if this wasn't Hell. Still, after his past experiences with this place, even if not with this particular circle, he had never really put any thought in those subjects. He simply had never noticed such things. And honestly, he still didn't pay too much attention to it. Not only because he didn't want to pay too much attention to this place at all, too afraid that less than nice memories would arise, but at this moment his injured shoulder distracted him too much to pay attention to anything else.

Well, anything else except for Shin, of course.

The blue-haired angel still seemed interested in the strange fire, though he winced a bit every time the flames blew towards them a bit. It wasn't too surprising, though. After all, Shin had always loved books and learning about everything he could find. Something like this, so completely against the laws of nature, so impossible but yet right here to see, should be fascinating to him. Honestly, Yuda felt a bit relieved about the fact that his beloved one had started noticing technically useless things. Hell certainly wasn't a place to get used to, but the less overwhelmed they'd be by simply being here, the more chance they had not to miss any possible clue on how to finish this assignment successfully.

"Yuda?" Ruka's voice almost startled him, and he quickly looked up. "How is your shoulder?"

"It still hurts, but it's manageable," the red-haired angel replied, forcing himself to smile reassuringly.

"Okay. Then… before we go into the next circle, could we talk for a bit?" It came out almost unsurely, and Yuda could easily guess what his friend worried about.

Due to Shin's trouble with breathing, and his own injury, he hadn't had much opportunity to worry about that himself. But now that he got reminded of it, he remembered about which souls were sealed in the seventh circle. The Violent. Not only to other people and friends, but also violence against Zeus, and against themselves. All three of those would remind them of their past, and the last one especially would bring up a secret that only the two of them knew so far. Maybe it would be the right time to tell their friends about how they had cut themselves, while trapped in an even deeper part of Hell.

"Yuda?"

Oh, right. Ruka was still waiting for an answer. "Yeah. I guess it'll be time for a lunch-break by then, anyway." Ruka smiled relieved, and returned his gaze towards the way ahead. Yuda sighed softly, knowing as well as Ruka did that this wasn't going to be an easy talk. Especially since they'd have to be somewhat quiet, not to have their friends hear worrying things.

"Damn…" Shin coughed again, a few times in a row. "The air here gets worse."

"I think we're getting near to the end of this circle," Yuda responded. "Maybe that's why it's worse here."

"Might be, indeed," the smaller angel nodded, before coughing again.

"Normally, I'd offer to carry you. But at the moment, I don't think I could hold you up, sorry."

"You know I wouldn't let you carry me anyway, while I'm still able to walk myself," Shin responded dryly.

"I know. But I'd still offer," Yuda grinned.

Despite his slight airlessness, Shin quickly casted the spell when they reached the end of the circle. Again, there was a small passage, though this time Ruka and Yuda went a bit deeper into the cave to talk more privately, meanwhile eating lunch to save time.

Rei looked at the two talking for a moment, but then concentrated on keeping a conversation going among the other three angels and himself. Despite his worry and curiosity, the purple-haired angel didn't want to intrude Ruka and Yuda's privacy. Even though it did make him worry when he thought about what they were probably talking about. There were still parts of the past, that only those two knew themselves. Sure, Rei had a feeling he knew about some of their 'secrets', but it still hurt somewhat that Ruka had some traumas which he didn't even dare to share with Rei. Those particular details of their past were undoubtedly horrible, but to keep it a secret from their beloved ones must be so difficult. Evidently, though, it was less difficult than telling anyone else about it.

Unlike Rei thought, though, it was almost equally difficult for the two angels to talk about it to each other. Somewhat awkwardly, Ruka and Yuda sat across of each other, eating some dried meat without any enthusiasm. Just when Ruka started wishing something would happen, anything, so they wouldn't have the upcoming conversation, Yuda asked unsurely; "So… Anything specific that you wanted to discuss?"

"No. Just…" Taking a deep breath, Ruka forced himself to ask what he needed to ask. "We'll encounter souls convicted for self-harming in the next circle. Should we tell the others about all that happened? The parts they don't yet know?"

"Well, Shin would be angry and even hurt if he'd somehow found out before I'd tell them. I guess it's the same with you and Rei?" The red-haired angel kept staring at the ground while speaking, which Ruka was grateful for. Looking at each other would only serve to stir up the unpleasant memories even harder, and that wasn't something that should be done now. Not while it would already be painful enough when they'd go through the seventh circle.

"It would be the same with Rei," Ruka agreed. "But still… walking up to them now, and just flat-out tell them… Wouldn't that be too crude?"

"Maybe, But what other option do we have left? It's either telling them now and having their support, or risk having an emotional break-down when we're confronted with it."

"I honestly don't know if I can bring myself to tell Rei. It might distract them too much right now, or they'll be hurt because we didn't tell them sooner," Ruka responded quietly.

"That's another way to look at it," Yuda replied in a sigh. "Ironically, Shin's logical opinion would be helpful now."

"Indeed." Another, rather awkward, silence. "So… what should we do?"

"We should tell them. But I don't think we can." Finally, the red-haired angel looked up at him, and it almost startled Ruka to see such a vulnerable and almost desperate look in those bright turquoise eyes. Even though he was pretty sure that his own eyes reflected exactly the same emotions. Still, Yuda had always seemed so strong and sure of what to do, even when they'd been imprisoned in Hell. It felt unnerving to see him so unsure.

"Then what will we do?"

"Ruka, I don't know," Yuda responded, his voice a bit unsteady. "You can't expect me to just know the answer." Looking at the ground again, he almost seemed to want to flee. From this place, or from this conversation? Or, Ruka realized guiltily, maybe from him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so…" So much like a child wanting his mother to make everything all right? His last tiny bit of pride didn't allow him to say that. "I'm sorry. It just… feels too scary to try to make a decision myself."

"So you try to force me to make a decision for both of us?" Yuda hissed, so the others wouldn't hear. "I don't naturally know what we should do, I'm only guessing what's best. Even now, they all expect me to be in charge of how we should do this assignment. But I don't know what's the way to safely get out of here, and if anyone gets hurt it'll be my fault. Please, don't force me to be responsible for this too."

To his horror, Ruka saw a tear slowly falling down Yuda's pale cheek. "I… I didn't realize it's such a burden to you. Because you never do make mistakes that are unsolvable." Okay, that probably didn't help too much. "Yuda… Damn." Unable to think of anything else to do, he leaned forward and hugged his friend.

A pained gasp was the first response. "L-let go!"

"W-what…" A bit offended, Ruka pushed him away but then remembered the other angel's injury. "Damn, I wasn't thinking. Does it hurt?"

A half-serious glare. "Only when I breathe."

"Geez…" Again, Ruka tried to hug his friend, carefully this time. To his surprise and worry, Yuda practically went limp in his arms, eyes falling shut. "Yuda? Are you all right?"

A faint nod. "The pain in my shoulder is just wearing me out, I guess." Trembling slightly, he sat back up and got out of Ruka's embrace. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Are you sure that you're able to get through the seventh circle?"

"Are you?" His eyes unwavering, he looked at Ruka. Still, a certain weariness was visible, despite the other angel's obvious effort to hide it. "I'm physically tired, but as far as our minds go, we're equally vulnerable. It won't get easier, it might even get more difficult the longer we wait."

"Still, it'd be nice to have a clear answer somehow," the silver-haired angel sighed.

"Indeed, but the facts are clear. It'd be best to tell them, but neither of us has the strength or courage to do so at this point. All we can do is hoping they won't feel hurt if they find out due to us breaking down if our memories become too overwhelming. However, we both know that Shin and Rei will be there for us. So we shouldn't be scared."

Ruka only nodded, and glanced at his beloved one. Rei just sat there, silently staring at the ground with a worried look on his face. Shin looked about the same, only he stared at one of the cave's walls instead of the ground. A pang of guilt shot through him at that, and even without using his empathy, he knew that Yuda felt the same.

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**I'll probably update next week^^**


	24. Hidden pain

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

When lunch was over, Yuda had to force himself not to cry out from pain when he stood up. Honestly, his shoulder hated him. And it wasn't trying to hide it. Luckily, Shin was already busy trying to remember every bit of their research, and didn't notice the red-haired angel wincing in pain. To his slight surprise, it was Rei who did notice it, and immediately grabbed his arm to steady him. "Yuda? Is your shoulder still getting worse?"

"No, it's just getting a bit stiff when I don't keep using it," he replied, forcing the pain out of his voice. "It'll be fine soon enough." At least, he hoped so. Rei didn't seem to fully believe him either, but he didn't try to force him into talking about it. For that, the red-haired angel was grateful. This circle would be difficult enough to get through, without his friend constantly keeping an eye on him. Besides, Rei should be able to concentrate on helping Ruka, as Yuda already had Shin. Even though the blue-haired angel had been busy a moment ago, now that all dangers were spoken about he did occasionally sent Yuda a worried glance.

"Yuda, you didn't say a word about what you read about this circle," the blue-haired angel remarked, not sounding accusing, but rather concerned.

"Sorry, I wasn't really listening," Yuda admitted sheepishly.

"You'll be okay, right? And you'll tell me if you're not okay?" It sounded so unsure, Yuda couldn't help but to give his beloved one a tender kiss onto his lips. "Should I take that as an answer?" Shin chuckled relieved.

"Your choice. But either way, I'm okay as long as I have you close to me."

"That's not a certainty, and we both know that. About you being okay, I mean."

"But at least it's a certainty that you'll stay by my side, isn't it?" he tried to avert the subject.

"Yeah," Shin smiled softly, and took his hand. Thankful, Yuda held on to his angel's hand tightly, feeling reassured by that bit of physical contact.

Rei was currently holding Ruka's hand in the same manner, feeling how tense his beloved one was. His mind went back to that night when Ruka had accidentally injured himself by hitting that mirror, the feeling that there was something that his angel wasn't telling him. Did it have anything to do with what this circle was about? It had been clear that Ruka and Yuda's talk hadn't been about nice things, but it was a bit early to already have a talk about their memories from when they'd been trapped. After all, they hadn't yet reached that particular circle. But then, what was it that those two evidently didn't want the others to know?

"Could you stop staring at me? It's making me nervous," Ruka suddenly remarked softly.

"Ah, s-sorry," Rei apologized, feeling his cheeks heating up. Geez, he really should try to concentrate on their surroundings, it wasn't a good sign that he hadn't even noticed himself staring. They were getting into the deepest parts of Hell now, demons were probably lurking around here. And the angels should notice them as quickly as possible, to prevent getting injured. Even though Yuda could heal them, it would tire him out. Besides that, the red-haired angel wasn't invincible himself, which they had been reminded of by his current injury. If Yuda would get seriously hurt, too badly to travel on or be able to heal the other five angels, they'd be as good as dead.

The first convicted souls started to appear, but they apparently were too busy to even notice the six angels walking past them. Too busy with physically fighting each other, Rei realized with horror, as he looked at those horrible angered faces. They seemed so full of hate, so drained of anything ever good they'd ever possessed, it made the purple-haired angel glad that they only had eye for each other. At one point, a soul glared at another one, right in front of Rei, and the slender angel almost gasped when it seemed like the doomed one was staring right at him.

"He's not looking at you," Goh reassured him quietly. "Just walk on, don't risk provoking him by staring back."

Rei could only bring himself to nodding back in response, afraid to somehow drag attention. He felt Ruka's grip on his hand tightening, and reminded himself that he had more important matters to worry about. Even though Ruka clearly tried to comfort his angel, Rei could feel the tenseness coming from the taller angel. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down and smile at his beloved one. This wasn't the time for him to get scared, not while Ruka was so stressed out and vulnerable.

Still, he couldn't help but to feel grateful when Ruka smiled back at him softly. It actually made him feel a bit more comfortable, until he looked into those beautiful red eyes. They seemed so… strange, somehow. Like dark clouds had gathered inside them, hiding whatever Ruka was feeling or thinking. That worried Rei more than anything, since his angel had never done that before. Sure, the look in those red eyes had been empty when he and Yuda had just escaped from their prison in Hell. But never once before had he looked so secretive. After all, he could read others' minds with only a touch of his fingertips. Then it wouldn't be fair to hide his own emotions so unhealthily strong, Rei knew how Ruka thought about that. So why did the silver-haired angel do it now?

'Ruka, are your secrets truly that horrible?' Rei thought. They couldn't be, could they? Not to him, at least. Whatever the silver-haired angel had done, Rei wouldn't love him any less because of it. And Ruka knew that. He sighed softly. Right, Ruka knew that. But if his angel truly believed it, was a question that Rei couldn't answer. Increasingly often, he got the feeling that the taller angel still felt like he didn't deserve love, after all that had happened. Like he should be trapped forever in his own feelings of guilt and unworthiness, to atone for his sins. But wasn't that even worse than actually being trapped in Hell? Well, Rei couldn't judge about that. However, he'd make sure that Ruka wouldn't trap himself by making his memories his own personal Hell. Whatever his secrets were.

The further they got, the more tense both Ruka and Yuda seemed to get. Strangely enough, their eyes reflected some emotion that almost seemed like… guilt? What would they feel guilty for? While wondering that, Rei shared a short glance with Shin, the blue-haired angel probably thinking the same. At least, he had the same look of worry and confusion on his face as Rei felt. Then, he suddenly felt his angel wincing for a moment, and he looked around startled to see what Ruka had noticed.

"What's wrong?" he then asked, not seeing anything new. The souls here still weren't paying any attention to the six angels. What had changed, though, was that these souls appeared to be committing violence against themselves. "Ruka?"

"Eh… N-nothing. Nothing's wrong," the taller angel stammered quietly, staring at the ground.

"But…" Softly shaking his head, he interrupted himself. "I'm right beside you, don't forget that." The urge to demand the truth from the silver-haired angel was strong, but Rei knew that it wouldn't make things better at this point. On the contrary, it'd only make Ruka feel cornered and that wouldn't give him any more peace of mind. Still, it made Rei almost want to scream at him to just tell what was wrong, knowing that this was one of those rare times that Ruka was actually hiding something important from him, and straight-out lying about it.

Behind him, he heard a sound and he could barely stifle a scream when someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder. Spinning around on his heels, almost falling backwards, he came face to face with Yuda, who stared back at him both startled and apologetic. "Sorry, I tripped over a rock," the red-haired angel sheepishly explained.

For a moment, Rei only stared at him, hearing Gai chuckle in the background. "Geez…" Looking at Yuda's pale face, he sighed. "Watch where you walk, you don't need any more injuries."

Sorry," Yuda said again, averting his gaze towards the ground. Shin discretely squeezed his hand, glancing up at him worriedly.

"Did you hurt your shoulder when you almost fell?" Rei asked concerned.

"No, it's just…" He softly shook his head. "Nothing. I'm fine."

Just like Ruka, he was hiding something. Rei didn't even need to guess that, he knew it immediately when he noticed Ruka and Yuda shooting each other a quick glance. Locking eyes with Shin for a moment, he realized his friend had seen it too. Better, still, not to say anything about it, even though Rei currently wished that he could read Ruka's mind like the silver-haired angel could read his.

"Guys," Goh suddenly said, pointing forward. "Demons, over there."

Immediately, all six of them were concentrated on what was on the road before them. Just in time, as the first few demons spotted them too, and ran towards them to attack. With all that he had, Rei fought back, his friends doing the same, and for a moment it seemed like they could win. Shortly glancing around to spot any other upcoming groups of demons, Rei almost gasped when he was faced with a convicted soul staring right at him. And this time, he knew it was actually looking at him.

Behind him was a scream, and that was when the real horror began.

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**Finally, somewhat of a cliffhanger again XD **

**I'll update next week^^**


	25. Memories revealed

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Sorry for not updating last week… I was planning to, but on Sunday I went to Cesar Millan's live show, with a friend (it was awesome =D ). I had wanted to finish and upload this chapter afterwards. What I hadn't expected, though, was that the show would last until 11pm, then it'd be an hour's drive back to my friend's house, then a 20 minute drive back to my house. And to make it more fun, I had to be up at 6:15am the next day, to not be late for school…**

**The whole point of the story is, that I ended up staying at her house for the night, while my laptop was still at home. Can't update without having access to the document. And then there's my pet peeve about only wanting to update on Sundays, or Saturdays when I know beforehand that I won't be able to update on Sunday… Yes, I'm a freak ^^'**

**Anyhow, here'd the chapter (finally). WARNING: mentions of self-harming…**

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When a convicted soul went right through him, its memories somehow didn't just appear in Ruka's mind, they blended instantly with his own. Unable to stop himself from screaming, he shot at it with an energy beam, hitting nothing but thin air and something else. Something he really hadn't aimed for. Something he'd rather die for than hurt it. As Rei´s gasp of pain echoed in his ears, the feelings of self-hatred and despair which had been dormant in his memories for months, relived fully. Screaming again, he felt his legs giving way and collapsed to the ground, curling up into a fetal position.

"Ruka!" Rei's scream barely reached the silver-haired angel, Rei knew that all too well. While the other fought off the demons and convicted souls, Rei kneeled down beside Ruka. "Say something! Ruka!" His angel didn't give any sign that he'd heard him, his face hidden behind his arms. "Ruka?" Unsurely, Rei touched his beloved one's shoulder. No response, but at least his angel didn't flinch away from him or anything alike. Carefully, Rei pulled Ruka's arms away from his face, and sighed in relieve when he saw the tears.

How cruel it may sound, seeing Ruka cry reassured him so much. It meant that Rei, with some effort, was able to reach him. "Ruka, what happened? What have you been hiding?"

Finally, a response. Letting out a muffled sob, Ruka grabbed Rei's arm. "Don't… don't leave."

Leave? "Nothing you'll tell me, nothing you have done, will ever make me turn away from you. That's a fact, Ruka." Gently, he made his angel sit up and then wrapped his arms around him. "Don't let those souls' emotions stir up too many of your bad memories. We can't let our friends fight them off without us."

Trembling, Ruka nodded. "Rei… I do need to tell you something."

"When we've killed those demons," the purple-haired angel nodded. "I assume it's both you and Yuda?" A short silence, then Ruka nodded quietly. "Okay then." Looking around, Rei added; "For now, I'll try to shield you until you can fight those demons off too." After Ruka nodded again, Rei slowly let go of him and stood up.

The demons kept coming, the souls had fled by now. Seeing his friends getting trouble to fight off the demons, especially Yuda, Rei quickly made a decision and let his wings appear. From the ground, it seemed like an attack without an end, though it may look different from the ground. Indeed, it did. To Rei's horror, the creatures of evil had surrounded them, thereby making it possible to attack the angels from every possible angle. Immediately, Rei used his powers to freeze over the closest circle of demons, then shot energy beams at them to make them break. Almost instantly, his friends understood that strategy and started shooting too, injuring the demons on the second row with the cracked ice of their killed comrades. It made it all too clear how soulless these creatures were, that it didn't even seem to emotionally bother them.

Giving himself no time to watch, Rei froze as many of the demons as he could, until his wings nearly dropped him. When he hurriedly landed, panting softly from the exertion, a stinging pain shot through his right side. Damn, he hadn't even paid attention to that yet. Well, Ruka's energy beam had only nicked him and left no more than a slightly burned scratch. The last few remaining demons were more important, and he managed not to let anything show until their surrounding were relatively save again, though tainted by the blood of those evil creatures.

"Ruka?" Turning around, he was almost startled to see his beloved one standing right behind him. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." He still trembled a bit and his eyes still showed more stress than usual, but at least he managed to smile faintly. Then, though, the look on his face turned to worried. "Rei, are you all right? I didn't mean to hit you, I just panicked and shot without aiming."

"It's just a small scratch, nothing to worry about," Rei replied reassuringly.

Without waiting to be asked to, Yuda healed the injury on the purple-haired angel's side. "So… I guess Ruka and me owe you all an explanation."

"Indeed," Rei nodded. "But let's get to the next passage first. If more demons come to fight us now, I'm not sure if I can pull the same trick as I did this time."

While Goh and Gai already walked a bit ahead, on the lookout for possibly threats, Rei watched Yuda stand up. Having to kneel down to heal the purple-haired angel's injury shouldn't affect his shoulder, still he winced as he moved a bit too quickly. "Yuda?" Ruka asked softly. "If you need help… just say so."

"Is your shoulder still getting worse?" Shin asked worriedly. "You really should try not to move it."

"It's not really getting worse, the pain is just getting… more painful."

"As in, more intense?" Shin asked.

"No, but because I can't move as freely as usual, my back and ribs are starting to hurt too." A clearly fake smile. "It's not the injury itself, so it's not a problem."

"It slows you down, and makes you weaker in a fight," Goh remarked. "Not to sound unfriendly, but maybe it'd be better if you would stay behind us a bit, if we have to fight again."

"I can still fight for myself," Yuda responded, a bit of hurt sounding in his voice.

"I didn't mean it like that. But you're not as strong as usual right now, and if you get injured any worse, it'll really be a big problem. Besides that, if any of us get injured then you can heal it. None of us, however, has the power to heal you."

Letting out a sigh, the red-haired angel looked up at him. "I know that, but I don't want to become useless just because of one injury."

"The reason that you should be careful, is exactly because you're not useless!" Shin snapped. "I'm not going to watch you get slaughtered by demons, just because you're so stubborn!" Rei couldn't help but to stare at his friend, seeing the unusually fierce look in Shin's eyes. "This isn't some minor assignment. You could die." Averting his gaze, he added; "Meaning I could lose you."

For a moment, Yuda just looked at the ground, apparently speechless. Then, he finally looked up to his beloved one. "I'm sorry. Really, I understand. But it just… feels so awkward not to fight at full force, while I'm used to just pushing through any sort of pain."

"Then again, it's not like you get hurt that often." Thinking about it, Rei realized he barely could remember any occasions on which the red-haired angel had ended up injured. "You've usually slaughtered any demons or other enemies before they get the chance to touch you. Well, there was that one time during the festival, when that dark creature grabbed you. But… I can imagine it feels unnatural to you not to be able to use all your strength."

Chuckling softly, Ruka added; "We're just a bit more careless about our bodies than you are, I guess. After all, we have you to heal us." At that, Yuda smiled softly.

Rei couldn't help but to let out an inaudible sigh of relieve, to see those two smile. Whatever it was that they had to tell the others, apparently it wasn't something that was still forming a real problem. Besides, if it was that horrible, then it would be affecting their everyday life. Which, with Ruka, Rei was sure he would've noticed. Still, while walking he noticed his angel stepping closer and closer to him, eventually almost walking side to side with him. When their arms touched, the smaller angel quietly took Ruka's hand and squeezed it, earning a grateful smile.

Some minutes later, in the next passage, the six angels stood still and looked at each other somewhat awkwardly. "So… if you'd rather just talk to Shin and Rei first, Gai and me can wait at the other side of the passage," Goh eventually said, sounding a bit unsure.

"No, all of you deserve to know the full truth about what happened while we were in Hell. What made us bury our memories and souls so deeply," Yuda responded softly, looking at some point between the wall and the ground.

Automatically, they sat down in a circle, Ruka and Yuda next to each other and having Rei and Shin at their sides. "So... You know about all that happened… how we got trapped in there. But… how Ruka broke down earlier, and… some other things... We never told any of you about the full details of our time before we truly lost ourselves and started trying to escape and take over Heaven." Staring at the floor, his bright turquoise eyes slightly unfocused, Yuda sighed. "It's… not something either of us likes to remember. Let alone talk about it. Besides the rather vivid memories, there are some things that we're just scared to tell you. That's why we never did talk about it before, but this assignment makes it too dangerous to keep possible weaknesses a secret." A short glance at Ruka, almost begging his friend to continue. The silver-haired angel did look back for just a moment, but then averted his gaze.

Obviously picking up the stress his beloved one felt right now, Shin placed his hand on Yuda's. "Don't worry, just tell us the whole story. You know we won't judge you or Ruka."

Softly, after sending Ruka one last desperate look, Yuda continued. Staring at a random spot on the ground again, his eyes almost hidden behind his bangs, he told; "When we first woke up, I could barely remember what happened. Zeus didn't want us to die instead of being trapped, and our wounds from the fight were lethal. Therefore, he had healed us. At first, it felt like it had just been a horrible nightmare. Then, when I opened my eyes and saw where we were, I finally remembered. Neither of us even attempted to talk about it, the guilt and pain was just too much. If we did as much as think about it, we'd nearly go insane. Thinking about it, meant realizing that we had lost all of you. That we'd never get back our lives, and we'd be in Hell forever. Both literally and figuratively speaking."

"I'm so glad the both of you did get out," Rei whispered, almost unconsciously.

It earned him a faint smile from Yuda. "I'd just wish we could've known the future, at that point. But we didn't, and there seemed to be no escape from eternal punishment. I don't think either of us realized that the ones who punished us the worst, were we ourselves." The look in those turquoise eyes grew distant. "Maybe if we'd have talked about it, we wouldn't have become so trapped in our own minds. The first few days, all we did was sit and cry. Then, all emotions just… numbed, I guess. We barely even spoke to each other anymore, unless it was necessary. Even though I don't think either of us wanted to live, death seemed like too much mercy. So we started forcing ourselves to eat demonic reptiles, since those were the only other living beings around. Trying to catch them, ended up being the only occasion on which we spoke to each other."

A short silence, in which Yuda glanced at Ruka again. This time, the silver-haired angel didn't even look back, completely ignoring his friends plea for help.

Quickly averting his gaze, going back to staring at the floor, Yuda tried to hide the hurt visible in his eyes. "Anyway, bottling up our feelings resulted in an inability to allow any feelings at all." A shaky sigh. "Eventually, we became almost desperate to feel something. So we found ways to feel pain. By cutting our own arms." Another look at Ruka, and this time Yuda didn't look away when he got ignored. Instead, he just continued. "We both did it, though I didn't cut as deeply since I knew it could end up lethal, and I can't heal myself." A tense silence followed, in which Rei and Shin both felt so much pity for their beloved ones that it almost hurt physically. Still, all knew that there was something more. Something which wasn't for Yuda to tell. "Ruka, I'm not going to tell everything for you. It hurts me just as much, it isn't fair to make me say all this," the red-haired angel finally said softly, his voice trembling slightly.

"I… I did cut too deeply. Multiple times. I didn't mean to, but… I just couldn't force myself not to," Ruka finally admitted, barely audible. "Which is why Yuda dragged me to the backyard to talk, after I broke that mirror with my fist. I didn't mean to hurt myself then, but it worried him because of what happened."

So those were the main things that Ruka and Yuda had been afraid of telling their beloved ones. Honestly, Rei only felt relieve at that. "Ruka, did you honestly think that it would matter to me that you did that?" Tenderly, he stroked his angel's cheek. "I can't know how horrible it was to be trapped in Hell, but I'd be more worried if you wouldn't have gone through serious problems at all."

"Indeed," Shin agreed to that. "You two have a soul, just like everyone else, and if it wouldn't affect you to be in such a situation it'd be serious reason for concern."

"But… it's such a weak thing to do," Ruka mumbled.

"It would've been weak to actually give up. But you didn't, and now we're all together again," Rei responded. "Don't worry about it anymore, then we won't either. Just go on with telling what happened, please."

Again, Ruka's silence forced Yuda to go on with the story. "There's not much else to tell. Eventually, we got so used to push away our memories and feelings, that it became nearly impossible to allow them to rise. Only pure pain wouldn't fade, which somehow got replaced by hate. That's when we started to want revenge." A somewhat shaky sigh. "I can only speak for myself, but it only hurt worse when we escaped and became Heaven's enemies. It was like being trapped in our own souls, barely conscious about what we did, but still conscious enough to feel terrible about it. But I knew I'd go insane if I'd allow any true feelings, and the only way to prevent that was to forcibly not think about it."

"You… do remember everything clearly?" Ruka suddenly asked, finally looking up at Yuda. The surprise, and slight guilt, was audible in his voice.

This time, it was the red-haired angel who refused to look back at his friend, most of his face hidden behind his bangs. "Not all, and most parts are like a memory of a nightmare. But I barely forgot any day. Maybe I should've said that earlier, but… I don't know if it means that I just wasn't able to ban out my feelings, or if I truly did think about what I did. Which would make me just as bad as the demons who cooperated with us."

"No… Yuda, that's not true and you know that!" Shin immediately responded, roughly grabbing his angel's shoulder and ignoring the sharp wince of pain Yuda made. "Every person deals with such traumas in a different way. It doesn't make you evil. I'd never love an evil being." A lot softer, he added; "And I love you so incredibly much." Evidently sensing that Yuda just couldn't respond right now, he wrapped his arms around the taller angel and hugged him closely. Still no real response, but even from his point of view, Rei could see some tears landing on Shin's shoulder.

Discretely looking away, Goh and Gai started unpacking some dried meat for dinner. Indeed, it was clear that they wouldn't travel on today. Quietly, he looked at Ruka, unsure if hugging him now wouldn't seem too much like just copying Shin and Yuda. There was a difference between the two, though. While Yuda was crying soundlessly, Ruka just stared at the floor. Actually, the silver-haired angel didn't seem to be haunted by memories at the moment, but rather looked like he was feeling guilty.

"Ruka? What's wrong?" Rei asked unsurely.

"I was too scared to tell you about the cutting… But I honestly had no idea that he remembers almost all of it clearly," Ruka whispered, his red eyes full of shame. "If I'd known that… No, I shouldn't have forced him to tell everything, anyway. I was just so scared that you would think of me as weak and stupid."

"I'd never think that, Ruka. If you truly had expected me to think that, then you don't know me at all." It sounded harsh, but Rei couldn't help to feel hurt by the lack of trust from his angel.

"I know, but I still felt scared. I don't know why!" It came out as a desperate hiss. "I'm sorry, Rei. I'm sorry."

"Ruka…" Slowly, giving his angel the opportunity to move away if he didn't feel like being hugged right now, he wrapped his arms around Ruka. In response, the silver-haired angel leaned against him gratefully. "Don't worry, I'm not angry at all. It just… hurts a little to know you have been going through that fear alone." Tenderly, he kissed his angel's cheek. "Don't ever hide anything from me again, it only hurts us both. I promise I'll always be there to try to help and comfort you."

Ruka merely nodded, undoubtedly grateful for Rei's determination to be there for him. But still, he knew that all wasn't right just yet, not until they had faced all of their past, and survived those cruel memories.

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**I'll update soon^^ (and sorry for not replying on any reviews lately, I've just been too busy to... I do really love getting reviews, though ;) )**


	26. Worries and guilt

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

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Feeling his beloved one's tears dripping silently onto his shoulder, Shin unconsciously started caressing Yuda's silky red hair. His mind, though, wasn't all there in the moment. Rather it was in the past. The part of it which he didn't participate in, the part when Yuda and Ruka had been trapped alone. Moreover, his mind was trying desperately to understand how Yuda's memories and thoughts of that time were still haunting him. If only he understood what exactly his angel's fears and traumas were, then maybe he'd know how to help him. Sure, he knew words couldn't just make Yuda come to terms with the past, but Shin felt so scared to say the wrong things. To accidentally make Yuda feel worse about it all.

Besides that, it also made him feel guilty to know now how much Yuda had been worrying about the fact that he remembered it all so clearly. If he'd only noticed that earlier, then he could've talked with his beloved one instead of having him break down like this. The rational part of his mind told him that there was no way he could've known it earlier, since Yuda was the only one who was in charge of that piece of information, even Ruka hadn't known. But for once, the emotional part of his mind had the upper-hand. And that emotional part was currently beating him up over the fact that he had been naïve enough to think that he truly understood what his angel had gone through. To think that he already knew the full truth.

Hearing everything that Yuda had just told them, though, had forced Shin to acknowledge the truth. He'd never fully know nor understand what Yuda felt and remembered, simply because it was beyond his own range of experience. Although having lost Yuda for a while, he'd never been faced with losing absolutely everything. He'd never been faced with losing his freedom, with being trapped in Hell. With being pushed to the point of burying his own soul, because it was the only way not to kill himself. Which also meant, that he might never be able to help Yuda as much as he'd wish he could.

And that thought, the raw realization, hurt a lot.

"Shin?" Goh's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes?" he responded quietly, looking up at his friend.

Goh seemed a bit unsure, looking at Yuda worriedly. "It's already close to dinner-time. Eh… Do you both want to eat?"

Ah, that was the reason for that unsure look. It might seem rude to only address Shin, like Yuda was some child. But honestly, Shin didn't expect the red-haired angel to even notice anyone talking to him right now. Even though he was still only crying inaudible, the slight trembling of his body betrayed how scared and haunted he truly felt right now. "I'll try to get him to eat, but I don't know if he'll want to," he replied to Goh, looking up again.

The brunette nodded understandingly. "Did… you know it already? How he felt about remembering it all so clearly?"

"I didn't even know the fact that he remembers it so clearly," Shin admitted softly, averting his gaze.

"Oh. Geez, he really must've been worried about it," Goh remarked compassionately. "Honestly, I think the fact that he and Ruka came back to our side is the only prove needed that they aren't evil. The past is only the past, it's what they're doing now that matters."

At that, Shin felt Yuda stirring a bit and then the red-haired angel looked up. "But… I did horrible things… while actually thinking them through."

"But you weren't in your right mind, otherwise you wouldn't have stopped," Goh simply replied. "The only one who doesn't seem to have forgiven you for that, is you yourself."

"Thanks," Yuda replied almost inaudibly, after a long silence. "Y-you're probably right, and I know I'm only hurting myself by feeling guilty… But what you said does help a lot."

"Words can only do so much, you'd better just eat dinner and let Shin hug you for a while longer," Goh remarked with a soft grin. "I'm sure he doesn't oppose to that idea."

"Not at all," Shin mumbled automatically, feeling his cheeks turn read when he realized he had spoken it out loud. Well, at least it made Yuda smile, which was well-worth Shin's embarrassment. Those turquoise eyes were still clouded from guilt and bad memories, but at least he didn't appear that broken anymore. Maybe the fact that Goh had told him not to feel bad, was the reason why Yuda had actually listened. Those two usually weren't that close, so Yuda knew that the brunette wouldn't lie to him just to make him feel better. Which, Shin realized guiltily, was something that he himself would do.

Well, he supposed that was just the way he was with Yuda. Besides, that's what friends are for, right? Letting out a sigh, he kissed his angel onto his lips. It earned him a surprised gasp, but then Yuda relaxed and kissed him back lovingly, slipping his tongue between Shin's lips. This time, it was the smaller angel who let out a surprised gasp, but couldn't bring himself to pull back immediately. Enjoying the moment, the feeling of being so close to his angel, for as long as he could. Still, he felt a pang of regret when he felt that he had to end this kiss now, before they'd go too far. After all, they weren't exactly alone.

Slowly pulling away from his beloved one, he glanced discretely at the others. And instantly regretted it when he saw Gai grinning, Ruka and Goh staring at the ground somewhat awkwardly, and Rei trying desperately to hide a rather wide smirk. "E-excuse me," Shin mumbled, feeling his cheeks starting to match his angel's hair color.

"Don't worry, it's nice to see you two being spontaneous for once," Rei chuckled. "Usually, you seem embarrassed at as much as a kiss on the cheek."

"I wouldn't say 'nice to see' this specifically," Gai laughed teasingly.

Shin's cheeks became an even deeper shade of red at that, and Goh softly pulled at Gai's hair. "Don't tease them like that, you choose voluntarily to watch it."

Ignoring Gai and Goh's playful fighting, Ruka moved a bit closer to Yuda to talk to him more personally. "I'm sorry for making you tell everything. I… I had no idea that you remembered it all so clearly, let alone how much you worried about it."

At those words, a shadow seemed to fall over the other angel's eyes, but he quickly recovered and gave his friend a faint smile. "You couldn't have known. I was so scared when you said that you remembered it rather like a nightmare than as a conscious memory. I just couldn't bring myself to telling anyone that I did remember it all vividly. It just… makes me feel so awful to know that it's mostly my fault." Taking a shaky breath, he averted his gaze towards the floor, avoiding his friends' worried looks.

"Why would it be mostly your fault?" Rei asked unsurely, sounding honestly surprised.

"Because I was actually thinking about what we were doing. Even though we both practically buried our souls, I was less gone than Ruka." Practically clawing at the ground with his nails, obviously stressed, he added; "Maybe if I wouldn't have done a thing to try and escape, we wouldn't have ended up trying to destroy Heaven at all."

"You don't know that for sure!" Ruka immediately responded, grabbing Yuda's shoulder. It earned him a sharp hiss of pain from the red-haired angel, reminding Ruka of his friend's injury. After carefully letting go, he grabbed his friend's hand instead, making him cease his clawing at the floor of the cave. "Don't make it sound like I'm innocent. I know I'm not. Both of us did it, so were both guilty. If I truly had done it against my will, at that point, I wouldn't have cooperated. You know me well enough to know that it's the truth."

"I know," Yuda nodded. "It's just… It won't be easy to shake off that feeling of guilt."

"So why are you trying to put that guilt all onto yourself?" Ruka asked softly. "I know I have been selfish, but we should support each other. I'm really sorry for…" Closing his eyes for a moment, he gathered the courage to say what he hadn't dared to say during their last conversation. "I'm sorry for acting like a dependent child. I shouldn't have forced you to make all decisions, and to carry the consequences by yourself. I had no right to, and I always knew that. I was simply too afraid to take responsibility, even just now with telling what happened in Hell. I'm really sorry, Yuda."

A long silence, then Yuda quietly gave him a smile. "Don't worry about it, at least now you understand."

Ruka merely nodded, then carefully hugged his friend, making sure this time that the injured shoulder wouldn't get pushed. Maybe due to the gentleness of this hug, or maybe because it had been Ruka who had initiated it, Yuda didn't pull away. Instead, he let out a rather shallow sigh and leaned against his friend. Causing Ruka to realize the true reason why the red-haired angel allowed himself to be held like this by someone else than Shin. "Yuda…" he started, but was interrupted by an almost unnoticeable whisper.

"It's just the physical exhaustion from the injury. Don't worry," his friend whispered in his ear. "It'll be gone by tomorrow, don't tell anyone. I'm fine."

It almost made the silver-haired angel wince when he heard that tone in his friend's voice. That fever wouldn't be gone by tomorrow, at least not completely, and Yuda knew that all too well. He just refused to acknowledge it. Knowing that this wasn't the right time to argue with his friend, if Yuda didn't want to cause concern then that was his own decision. Still, Ruka decided for himself to keep an eye on his friend. After all, that was the least he could do.

"Yuda?" At Shin's voice, the red-haired angel immediately looked up, and Ruka slowly let him go. "You haven't eaten yet."

"Ah… sorry." Giving his angel a rather sheepish grin, Yuda picked up a piece of meat and started eating. It didn't look too enthusiastic, but Shin didn't make any comment on it, probably thinking it was due to the difficult talks. Well, maybe it was indeed better to make them think that, Ruka supposed. There wasn't anything they could do about it anyway, and so it would only be a cause of useless worries.

Having to go second as guard this night, after Ruka, Rei silently watched his angel for a while. Even though Ruka seemed exhausted, he kept glancing over at Yuda. "Ruka, I might get jealous if you keep looking at other men like that," he dryly remarked.

"S-sorry," the taller angel immediately responded, those red eyes turned towards Rei now. "Just…" He seemed to have an argument with himself for a moment, but then spoke again. "Don't let it show that I told you this, but when I hugged him earlier I noticed he has a pretty bad fever. He said it'd be fine by tomorrow, but…" He sighed, and then closed his eyes. "I just hope that everything will turn out right."

"It will. It has to." Gently pulling his angel half onto his lap, he whispered in Ruka's ear; "Now go to sleep, my angel. I'd love to be able to watch you sleep, while it's still my shift to be guard."

"Rei…" Unable to hide a smile, Ruka relaxed against him. "I love you."

"I love you too." The smile on his angel's face faded mostly when he drifted off to sleep, leaving him with an almost peaceful look on his face. Rei looked at him lovingly, before looking up to watch his sleeping friends. Goh sat slumped against the wall, while Gai had moved closer to the brunette while he slept, now leaning against him. Shin sat against the wall too, with Yuda in his arms. They had both been sitting up when they had fallen asleep, but the red-haired angel had somehow ended up lying with his upper body partly on his angel's lap. And then there was Ruka, who was currently trying to tangle himself around Rei, without even waking up.

Well, it wasn't like that was much of a bother. It felt somewhat like hugging a giant living plush toy. Taking a deep breath, he buried his face in Ruka's soft silvery hair for just a moment, enjoying how good it still smelled. Even though they'd been in Hell for days already, without any opportunity to clean themselves, it didn't smell sweaty or unpleasant in any way. Even if it had smelled bad, though, Rei was pretty sure he still would've loved to bury his face in it. Especially since his angel's soft sigh in response, was so incredibly cute.

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**Two days late with updating, sorry ^^' **


	27. Into the shadows

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Finally, an update! Sorry for the long wait, I had my final exams at school, which involved working 3 weeks in a row at my internship ^^'  
Hopefully, I'll pass the exams (still have one assignment to do), and I'll have more time to write ;)**

* * *

The first thing that Yuda noticed, that morning, was that he had been wrong last evening. The fever hadn't disappeared, it had barely lessened. Damn. Ignoring the headache, he opened his eyes to see Shin still asleep against the wall. At least that was a good thing, he supposed. Now he'd have the chance to get off his angel's lap before Shin could feel how unnaturally warm he was. The next circle they'd have to go through was the eight one. Meaning they were too deep in Hell now, to have the luxury of worrying about anything else than protecting themselves.

Sitting up turned out to be more of a task than usual, causing the headache to worsen for a moment. Apparently, the pain had been visible on his face, since Goh immediately asked; "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Fine." Besides the fact that he had completely forgotten that he wasn't the only one awake, as there was always one person sitting guard at night. Well, at least Goh wouldn't fuss over him, despite the worried glance the brunette gave him. "Why does every morning here feels like waking up with a hangover?" Yuda remarked, in an attempt to make a joke.

"What else did you expect in Hell?" Goh replied dryly.

"Twittering demon-birds?"

That earned him a look as if he were crazy. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Yuda just grinned at that, hoping that his friend hadn't meant it as a serious question. Evidently he hadn't, since he didn't push the subject. Relieved about that, Yuda turned his attention towards Shin, trying to work out the tangles in his angel's long blue hair. "Mmh…" A quiet moan escaped his beloved one's lips when he pulled a bit too hard at a strand of hair. Continuing a bit more carefully, he took out the white ribbon and straightened the last remaining tangles. Just then, Shin let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes. "Yuda? What are you doing?"

"Your hair was a bit of a mess. Sorry if I woke you."

His angel smiled softly. "You know I don't mind. Just don't hurt your shoulder, okay?"

"Turn around then, so I can tie up your hair again." Immediately Shin complied, and Yuda gently tied up the smaller angel's hair. "Not too tight?"

"It's perfect, thank you." Turning back towards Yuda, Shin leaned forward and kissed him deeply. "Does that count as a reward?"

"I think you're over-paying, actually," Yuda mumbled with a grin.

"Then… make it even." Shyly, almost seeming shocked at his own remark, Shin stared at the ground.

Tenderly, Yuda wrapped an arm around him and gave him a loving kiss. "I can't wait until we're back home… and we can take this further." It was an almost inaudible whisper, only to be heard by his beloved one. To judge by the bright red color which had suddenly taken over Shin's cheek, the smaller angel had indeed heard it.

"You… feel better than you did yesterday evening." It wasn't even a question, and Yuda couldn't help but to chuckle. "Still, your shoulder needs to be healed before we'll do anything to each other." Leaning over towards his angel, Shin whispered in Yuda's ear; "I only want you to moan from pleasure, not from pain." Now it were Yuda's cheeks that suddenly turned red, and he quickly buried his face in Shin's silky hair to hide it. For a few moments, they sat like that. Then, the others started to wake up to, signaling them that it was time for breakfast.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Goh informed, about a quarter of an hour later.

No one replied negatively, so all stood up and slowly started walking to the end of the passage. There wasn't anything to be heard from the next circle, no foul smells either. Was that a good sign? Although Rei would have loved to believe that, he knew better. Considering the fact that this was the eight circle of Hell, it probably meant that the evil souls and demons at this place were just a lot better at hiding and strategy. Unconsciously, he took Ruka's hand, making sure that he'd keep close. In response, his angel gently squeezed his hand and held on to it softly.

"Damn…" Gai's voice sounded almost inaudibly, when they turned around the corner into the eight circle. That one word perfectly described what all of them felt at seeing this place. It wasn't as much the rocks, small streams of lava, and shadows leading into deep darkness. What horrified them, was that it was all moving somehow, multiple caves forming and dissolving, shadows creeping over the floor to disappear moments later. Rei felt an ice cold shiver run down his spine when he suddenly saw something move from the corner of his eye, mostly hidden in the shadows. When he looked, though, there was nothing to be seen but darkness.

"Rei?" Goh asked, apparently alarmed by the purple-haired angel's sudden movement of his head. "Did you see something?"

"No… Maybe… It's was gone by the time I turned to look," Rei stammered, his grip on Ruka's hand tightening.

"Can we please hurry?" Shin asked quietly, his voice less than steady. "This is the… least hospitable place we've been through so far, there's no way of knowing what's lurking in those caves and shadows. So we'd better not keep standing still and be an easy target."

"Besides that, this place is creepy as Hell," Gai exclaimed, apparently not even realizing the pun. "Is anyone not having goosebumps right now?"

"Don't think so. Let's hurry indeed," Yuda responded, taking Shin's hand before starting to walk. "In case the caves change while we're inside, it might be dangerous to all hold hands. Still, maybe we should all pick a partner. If anyone ends up all alone in here, I don't know if he'd be able to get out." Gai seemed to freeze for a moment, but when Goh casually took hold of his hand the smaller angel seemed to relax a bit. Probably because now he didn't have to take the lead in that particular action.

Silently following Yuda, they walked straight forward, hoping that the caves would allow them to. They seemed to form from the ground, then break at the highest point and sink back into it. At least that meant that the angels wouldn't get dragged into the ground when the caves they were in would dissolve. However, Rei almost lost his balance when a cave suddenly started to form, nearly causing him to fall away from his friends. Quickly, Ruka dragged him over the increasingly high wall. "Rei!"

As the cave's roof completed itself above them, Rei forced himself not to stop walking, not to slow them down even a bit. "Thanks for pulling me back. I guess that was a clear indication of what we should be careful for in here." Despite his best efforts, he couldn't force the tremor out of his voice.

"It's also the reason why I said we shouldn't hold hands as a group," Yuda responded quietly. "If anyone were to end up between the two sides of the cave as the roof closes up, he'd be crushed to pieces. To a point where trying to heal them wouldn't be of any use anymore."

"But what do we do if two of us get separated from the other pairs?" Gai asked nervously.

"It'd be best to try and keep walking into this direction," Shin replied instantly. "Logically speaking, we should all end up at the exit of this circle, that way. And once there, we'd have to wait for each other."

No one dared to ask the next logical question, although Rei was pretty sure all of them thought it. How long should the first pair at the exit wait? How long, until it'd be sure that whoever hadn't came out of this caves yet, wasn't ever going to? "How long until the ones at the exit should presume that the others are… death?" he asked, almost inaudibly.

It took a long time until Yuda replied, his voice somewhat strained. "Until it's simply too dangerous to wait any longer. Otherwise, at least until next morning."

Suddenly, the cave cracked with a loud noise, and then started dissolving around them. The shadows, though, didn't seem to go down with the cave. Instead, it felt like they had been held back by the cave, now coming towards them and obscuring their sight. "Ruka?" Rei whispered, more terrified than he'd like to show.

"Just keep walking, this shadow has to end somewhere!" Yuda had to nearly yell for his words to be understandable over the sound of another cave cracking nearby. For that reason, Ruka only squeezed Rei's hand, but it was enough for the purple-haired angel to feel slightly comforted. Walking on steadily, the six angels continued through the shadow, remarkably easily.

Too easily, Rei feared. Somehow, it didn't feel like demons were the biggest thread in here. And why weren't there any convicted souls? Looking around, he didn't feel the ground shifting. When he did feel it, he was already losing balance. "Ruka!" His angel made a desperate attempt to pull him back, but instead got dragged along by Rei falling backwards. Looking up, Rei saw Goh and Gai being pushed away from Shin and Ruka by the other side of this upcoming cave. 'We're being separated!' It was his last thought before Ruka fell against him, causing his body to make a spin in the air. His face now towards the new cave wall, he saw a horrifying view of multiple ghostly faces staring back at him with expressions his mind couldn't even recognize.

Hitting the ground hard, he felt the air being knocked out of him. Then, Ruka landed roughly on top of him, cutting his gasp for air, and slowly the shadows took over.

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**To get in the right mood for the second part of this chapter, I listened to horror movie themes. In a dark attic (too lazy to turn on the light). Bad idea. Think I'll just keep working on the next chapter until I've gathered the courage to walk over the even darker hallway to turn on the lights… *shuffles closer to the light-providing screen of her laptop***

**Anyhow, I'll try to actually update in a week this time ^^**


	28. Fears and frustration

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

"Crap…" In a reflex, Yuda pulled Shin tightly against his chest, wincing when he used his injured shoulder. Above them, the new cave's roof closed up, suddenly blocking out any sounds from their friends. Somehow, all went eerily silent.

"Y-Yuda?" Shin's soft voice sounded. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. How about you?" Carefully letting go of his angel, he saw Shin nodding. "Good." He swallowed, hating to feel so helpless and not knowing if the others were all right. There wasn't anything he could do but to hope that they were okay, though, and he forced himself to concentrate on what he could actively do. "Let's keep moving, before something tries to separate the two of us too."

Again, Shin merely nodded, his face pale and his eyes clouded from fear. Suddenly, his body started trembling deeply and he almost collapsed. "Y-Yuda… Ah!"

"Shin!" Forcing his angel to sit down, Yuda took him back into his arms. "What's wrong? Are you injured."

"N-no…" Even though his body slumped against Yuda like consciousness left it, Shin's eyes were still open. They didn't seem focused, though, at least not on something in this world. Just when Yuda started to fear that his beloved one had slipped into some kind of shock, the smaller angel spoke again. "Souls… They… are the caves. Angels… got separated here before. They're s-showing… past." Which was the easiest through Shin's power of time, Yuda realized. Then, it got through to him what exactly his angel had just said, and he couldn't suppress a shiver. "If… if we're not careful… The caves will separate us all… and lock us in." He let out a gasp and shut his eyes. When they reopened, their look had turned back to normal. "Yuda, there are two exits from this place. Chances are, we won't all end up at the same one."

"Then... how will we get back together?"

"One leads to Caïna, the other to Antenora. There's only one way to the exit of the ninth circle, though. Whoever ends up in the part of Antenora, will then have to travel through Caïna's part to get to the path downwards." Suddenly letting out a shaky sigh, Shin sat up straight. "The angels who passed those flashes of their past on to me, obviously never made it to that point."

"They're… part of these caves?"

"Part of the shadows," Shin responded tunelessly. "The caves are formed by the human souls, trying to trap anyone in here. The many angels who didn't made it past this circle, form the shadows. Helpless, only able to try and hide living beings from being spotted easily by the convicted souls."

That really did creep him out. Practically dragging Shin off the floor, he forced his angel to start moving again. "Let's hurry. Please, let's hurry."

"Yuda… Wait, I'm a bit dizzy," the smaller angel mumbled, swaying on his feet.

"Damn…" He didn't realize how his reaction appeared until he saw the hurt look on Shin's face. "Sorry. I'm just scared. I mean, I was leading us. I'm responsible if one of us gets hurt, or worse."

"Yuda. You can't be in control of everything." Slowly regaining his balance, the smaller angel looked up at him. "You can lead us, but you can't be held responsible for anything you can't control. It's up to them now to keep themselves save. It's up to you and me now only to keep ourselves safe." After letting out a sigh, he added; "It's natural to worry. But you have to realize that worrying is all you can do right now. Don't make that the highest priority."

"I know." Tenderly, he kissed Shin's lips. "I'm sorry. Are you fit to walk on now?"

"Yes, as long as we move at a regular pace." Suddenly, he sent Yuda a faint but reassuring smile. It helped the red-haired angel more than any words could have, enough at least to enable him to faintly smile back.

Immediately when he felt his angel's body underneath him, Ruka moved away. "Rei?" No response, besides his beloved one's slightly ragged breathing. "R-Rei? Rei!" Nearly panicking, Ruka shook at Rei's shoulders. His angel's body was completely limp underneath his hands. "Rei!" Desperate for a response, Ruka shook at Rei's shoulders again.

"Ouch…" Coughing softly, the smaller angel opened his eyes a bit. "Ruka… you're hurting me, stop."

"Sorry!" Stopping to shake at Rei's shoulders, but not letting go of him yet, he asked; "Are you injured?" 'Please, don't be…' he begged inwardly.

"No." A rather sheepish smile. "I landed on my back, which knocked the wind out of me. And then I couldn't instantly get some air back, because some silver-haired heavyweight landed on top of me. I only blacked out for a moment, no need to panic."

'Only' blacked out? "I'm sorry. And I'm not heavy."

Although that last part was supposed to be a joke, Rei didn't manage much of a smile when he slowly sat up. Instead, he threw a slightly frightened look at the outside wall of the cave beside them. "Ruka… I think I saw faces when that thing was forming. I think… I think it's made from the souls trapped inside this circle."

He wanted to be out of here. Now. "Can you stand up?"

"Yes, of course." Almost annoyed, Rei looked up at him. The fear was clearly visible, though, in those beautiful dark golden eyes. "Please do hold my hand. I don't want to risk us getting separated by those caves… souls."

"I won't let go." Gently, Ruka took the smaller angel's hand and they both stood up. Seemingly a bit disorientated, Rei looked around. Not making a remark about it, knowing his angel would feel embarrassed for it, Ruka started walking into the right direction. Instantly, Rei followed while squeezing his hand tightly.

In silence, they walked on. The mood in this place, surrounded by both human and angelic souls, haunting caves and strange shadows, didn't give much motivation to talk either. Rather, it made Ruka want to hide away in Rei's arms and carry his angel away from here so nothing could take Rei away from him, both at the same time. Knowing better, though, than to allow his emotions and fears to rule them, since that would also scatter Rei's self-control, he only squeezed the smaller angel's hand every now and then.

"Ruka?" Rei suddenly mumbled, his voice a bit muffled. "How long will it be before we get to the exit?"

"Probably soon," the silver-haired angel replied, to make him feel better rather than because he really thought so. Rei gave him short look, not trying to hide the fact that he knew Ruka's intentions. "Okay, I have no idea," the silver-haired angel admitted quietly. "But we've been walking for hours already, and in the other circles we reached the exit within half a day. Why would this one be so much bigger?"

"Logically speaking, it should be smaller," Rei replied, staring at the floor. "It's like a downwards spiral, right? Then every circle should be smaller than the one before it. But the laws of nature don't seem to count here at all."

Honestly, Ruka hadn't even thought about that yet. Now that he did start thinking, it honestly terrified him. "W-well, as long as we keep walking forward, we should be okay."

At the same moment, Gai thought exactly the same. Not just due to their environment, but rather because for the first time in his life, he hated it to be alone with Goh. The brunette angel still seemed completely clueless about how the smaller angel felt, even though Gai knew no way to be clearer about it. Apart from speaking it out loud, of course, but he didn't dare to do that. Letting out a shaky sigh, he looked up at his friend. Goh didn't even saw him looking, too busy trying to be prepared for any dangers. Somehow, it hurt.

"Goh?" Gai asked silently.

"Yeah?" his friend immediately responded, looking back at him with those amazing mismatched eyes.

"Any idea how long we've been walking?" Not that he really cared, but a pointless conversation was better than none at all.

"A few hours, I think." Looking around, Goh added; "There are way too many shadows, though, to have any idea if we're getting near the exit." His voice actually sounded nervous, and Gai automatically moved closer to him. If the brunette was finding this scary, then why should the blonde pretend to be calm and relaxed? In response, catching Gai fully by surprise, Goh petted his hair for just a moment. "Don't worry. We've made it through the past circles, we'll make it through this one too."

"Yeah," Gai nodded, trying not to lean into Goh's touch. All too soon, the brunette stopped petting him and the smaller angel couldn't help but to feel a bit alone. Seriously, had there truly been a time in which he had made fun of Rei and Ruka's, and Shin and Yuda's relationships, and meant it? Somehow, the feelings he'd had then, had now turned into a jealousy he was actually ashamed of. And he had no idea how to tell Goh about it, even though he'd never hidden anything from him before.

"Gai? It's not like you to be so quiet." It sounded worried, and the small blonde immediately felt the urge to just make a joke of it not to have to respond seriously.

"Well, the sunshine and twittering birds here are just too great to disturb," he replied dryly.

Goh chuckled softly at that, before looking around again. "Well, I don't see any birds or sunshine, but at least there aren't any demons either."

"So far," Gai couldn't help but to add. The brunette didn't really respond to that, leaving Gai wondering if he'd sounded a bit too negative. Geez, since when did he even worry about what his own remarks? He never had before, besides that one time Rei had started crying after he'd called him annoying. Well, that had been Kira's fault, actually but… Damn, now he was just rambling on. Maybe he should just try to start a normal conversation. Then again, wouldn't that sound weird, given their current environment? Wait, they were in one of the deepest circles of Hell, why was he even worrying about what to talk about?

"Gai?" Goh's voice startled him from his thoughts. "Are you all right? You seem rather distracted."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking," Gai replied with a forced grin, hoping his friend wouldn't ask on. "This place is getting a bit boring, after a while."

"You really are weird," Goh chuckled.

Forcing himself to keep on that grin, Gai waited until Goh wasn't paying attention to him anymore. Then, he harshly bit on his lower lip to force back a frustrated growl. Damn.

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**I'll try to update soon^-^**


	29. Trouble ahead

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

Tripping over a rock, Rei let out a soft yelp. Geez, how long would this circle go on? Exhausted, he dragged at Ruka's hand to retain his balance, but felt his angel nearly falling in response to that. "Sorry," he mumbled quietly, trying to smile apologetic at Ruka. His beloved merely smiled back at him, gently squeezing his hand. The look in his beautiful crimson eyes was far from energetic, Rei could see that easily. "I hope we're near the exit. Honestly, I don't know if I can face another circle without getting some rest first."

"Same here," Ruka sighed. "The shadows seem to get darker, though. Maybe it's a sign that the exit is close?"

"Maybe," Rei nodded, not allowing himself to doubt it. Even if it was like lying to yourself, every bit of motivation was welcome at this point. Still, the notion also frightened him a bit, knowing the true identity of those shadows. "Ruka, can you still see the floor?"

"Not really," his angel replied, some nervousness audible in his voice.

"R-Ruka… Aah!" Suddenly feeling the ground underneath his feet disappearing, Rei couldn't help but to scream. Ruka didn't, instead he pulled the smaller angel into his arms. Thankfully, they didn't fell far, though the sudden impact to the ground did knock the air out of him for a moment. Gasping, he tried to sit up, warning Ruka to quickly get off him. "Ouch… You really shouldn't make that an habit, you know?"

"Sorry," the silver-haired angel responded, before quickly checking Rei's body. "You didn't get injured?"

"No. Are you all right too?" Worriedly, Rei wiped some hair away from his angel's face. Ruka only nodded, leaning slightly into the soft touch. "Should we wait here for the others?"

"I don't know if that was the only way down," Ruka replied quietly. "It wasn't exactly an 'exit' like the other ones. But even though it's dark in here, there's nothing instantly attacking us. So I think it should be safe to wait here for a while."

Looking around, Rei realized they had ended up in yet another cave, heavy doors blocking the only visible way out. At least there were no shadows around here, apart from the one right above them. "Just in case some of our friends end up here too, let's move a bit. Being landed on twice is enough for one day."

That last remark earned him a soft chuckle from the silver-haired angel, and Rei couldn't help but to feel happy about that. Together, they moved a bit away from the back wall, settling back down at a side wall. Just in time, it appeared, as a scream sounded and Shin and Yuda dropped to the ground. Shin immediately sat up, Yuda followed a lot slower. "Yuda, Shin!" Rei practically yelled.

As he looked up, the relieve was obvious in the blue-haired angel's eyes. Yuda's eyes were rather pain-filled, though, and Rei worriedly looked at his friend's shoulder. "Rei, Ruka, are you two okay?" Shin asked.

"Yes," Rei nodded. "Are you too?"

"I am, but… Yuda, how is your shoulder doing?"

"It's hating me, and currently trying it's hardest to make me know that," Yuda groaned. Still, he tried to move his arm as usual. Worriedly, Shin wrapped his arms around the other angel, forcing him to relax. "Shin, I'm all right," Yuda sighed. "Don't worry."

"You're in pain, and I'm supposed not to care?" the blue-haired angel responded quietly. "Not a chance."

"Have you seen Goh or Gai anywhere?" Ruka asked, after a few moments of silence.

"No, but they might end up in a different passage," Shin replied, then explained what the angelic souls had shown him of the past. Rei couldn't suppress a faint shiver at hearing that new information. At least they were away from there now, although it made his worries for Gai and Goh increase. Hopefully, they'd find this exit too. Or at least reach the other exit soon, so they'd be safe for the moment.

"So… we have to defeat Antenora first, before traveling on?" Ruka asked.

"Indeed," Shin nodded. "And we'll only be able to meet up with Goh and Gai after that, if they end up at the exit that leads directly to Caïna."

"But… in that case they'd have to defeat one of the strongest demons, with only the two of them," Rei realized with a startle. "Will they stand a chance against it?"

"They'll have to hold out long enough for us to reach them," Yuda responded, as calmly as he could manage. "Which means we might better not stay here for the night, but instead go on to fight Antenora as soon as everyone has rested enough." He heard the faint tremble in his own voice, betraying how stressed he really felt. Besides the concerns about Gai and Goh's safety, it wasn't like they were in such a safe place themselves either. They were strongest when all six of them were together, but even then it'd be hard to defeat an upper-class demon. Even though four was still better than two, it wouldn't be an easy fight. And he had to admit, with how much his shoulder hurt right now, he wouldn't be of much worth in a fight.

"We can do this, right? We're the Saint Beasts, after all. And Zeus wouldn't have given us this task if he didn't thought we are up to it," Rei said softly, making it sound like a question rather than a remark. The fear in those dark golden eyes was obvious, even though Yuda didn't look at him for long. To see his friends in this situation made him feel more horrible than it should, as he couldn't help but to feel responsible for the actions they took as a team. A soft kiss onto his cheek startled him a bit, and he looked up at Shin.

"We can do this, as long as we work together," the blue-haired angel said, almost in a whisper. "If we fail, then both Heaven and Earth will be destroyed. Zeus wouldn't risk sending us if we were that probable to fail."

Hoping to stop this conversation, not liking at all how much under pressure it made him feel, Rei started playing with Ruka's hair. At least that distracted his beloved, and Shin couldn't help but to need to do the same with Yuda. Looking up, Rei saw Ruka chuckling softly at him, obviously understanding what the smaller angel's intentions had been. In response, Rei smiled apologetic and then kissed him quickly onto his lips. "Sorry, I just didn't want to think about it anymore."

"I understand. Just do your very best to defeat evil, and try not to worry too much about failing and the consequences." Having Ruka whispering that in his ear, made it a lot easier to comply.

"I guess they've ended up in a different passage," Goh remarked, after hours of waiting. Gai only nodded, uncharacteristically quiet. "Hey, they'll be fine."

"I know." He couldn't exactly tell his friend that wasn't his biggest worry at the moment. Right now, being alone with Goh wasn't any less than awkward. Geez, why couldn't the brunette just understand how he felt? He usually knew everything Gai felt, so why was he being so clueless about this subject? Was he clueless, really? Or did he just refuse to know it? Damn…

"Gai? We might better go to the next circle, and hope we'll meet up with the others later."

"Probably," the small blonde nodded, refusing to look up at his friend. "What can we expect there?"

"I think Shin mentioned a rather powerful demon, and the deepest circles are supposed to be the circles of treachery. Either way, it's possible that they'll try to somehow take over our actions again, like in the fifth circle, so we should be careful."

Something in the back of his mind started nagging at him at that, telling him that there was something he was missing. Something he should be aware of. Whatever, it probably wasn't even important.

"Weird, those doors."

Looking up, Gai saw what his friend meant. Indeed, large opened doors were in front of them, almost like an invitation. Creepy. And the closer they got, the fuzzier his mind seemed to become. Wait… "Goh? I-I think the demon of this circle already noticed us."

"What… why do you think so?"

Before even being able to reply, his mind went completely blank. All he felt, was the deep feeling of hurt about his friend not noticing his love, and before he knew it he attacked.

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**The ending of this chapter was pretty… lame, sorry. It's been rather busy at the petting zoo where I volunteer, so I don't have as much time to write as I hoped ^^'**


	30. Love hurts

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Warning: mentioning of pretty bad injuries...**

* * *

"What…" As fast as he could, Goh jumped out of the way when Gai suddenly made a large piece of rock shoot towards him. "Gai?" His friend just kept attacking, the look in his eyes reminding Goh of how Ruka and Yuda had looked before they'd gotten back to the good side. But how? "Gai, what's wrong?" Another attack, this time actually hitting the brunette. "Gai!"

The blonde didn't even respond, just kept attacking in an unreasonable rage. The demon, Goh suddenly realized. Caïna, the demon who ruled this circle, must be affecting the small blonde. "Gai, stop… Ouch!" Gasping for air, he felt his legs giving way. Looking down, he saw a large piece of rock sticking out of his abdomen. Damn… "Gai! Please…" What did he do wrong? Not even a demon could make something out of nothing , as far as emotions went. Why was his friend this angry?

Wait… Sluggishly trying to avoid the next attack, he thought back to their recent conversations. Gai had seemed troubled by something, but… Too dizzy to think any deeper, he just kept trying not to get hit too badly. "Gai…" All he could have done to truly protect himself, was to attack the blonde. He knew he could easily knock Gai out cold, but that would be unfair. Besides that, he couldn't help but to feel that his friend had a reason to be angry. Knocking him out would only make things worse.

The demon. It was the demon, who he should somehow defeat. Still feeling blood dripping from the wound in his abdomen, he knew he wouldn't even be able to stand up properly, let alone fight. If only he could make Gai wake up, help him escape from Caïna's grip. Another rock stabbed him, he didn't even feel where exactly. "Gai…" His mind went back to Ruka and Yuda. Even though their situation had been different, it had been pure shock which had awoken them from their numbed state of mind. Maybe…

Gathering all strength he had left, he threw himself at the blonde. Gai barely even gasped in surprise, only stiffened. "I-I'm sorry! W-whatever I did… to hurt you… I'm sorry…" The smaller angel suddenly started trembling. "Gai?" Slumping against his friend, he felt Gai's arms hesitantly wrapping around him. "Sorry… D-don't be angry anymore…" No response. "Gai?" He thought he heard a reply this time, but the buzzing inside his head made it impossible to be sure.

Gai felt blood dripping down his body, and knew it wasn't his own. What… No… "Goh!" he screamed, quickly laying his friend down onto the ground. "I'm sorry! Goh, don't pass out!" The brunette's eyes were already closed, his breath coming in uneven gasps. "Goh! G-Goh?"

"Nng… G-Gai?" Opening his eyes a bit, the brunette looked up at him. "Y-you okay?"

For a moment, the small blonde just didn't know what to say. "I… could've killed you," he then whispered. "Why didn't you stop me?"

"I figured that, even though the demon caused you to snap, you must have a reason to be angry with me," Goh explained softly. At that, Gai quickly looked away. "Gai? Can you please tell me why you are angry?"

"I…" Damn… how was he supposed to tell this? "You're so ignorant!" he blurted out. "For weeks I've been trying to let you know, but you just don't get it! You don't even take me seriously, and I don't have the courage to make you know that I'm serious. I… I love you." Goh just stared at him blankly, and Gai felt tears burning in his eyes. "S-sorry, I shouldn't have told you."

"N-no, you should have told me earlier," the brunette responded, his voice trembling just a bit. "Gai… I didn't take you seriously, because to me you were never clearly serious. Not about your feelings towards me, at least." Taking a shaky breath, he added; "I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"Goh…" He could see how much effort it was for his friend to have this conversation, and he knew Goh wouldn't be able to go on for much longer. "Look… This isn't the time nor the place to talk about this… So let's not. Just… know that I love you, and I'll keep on loving you no matter what." The brunette smiled faintly at that, and managed to get hold of Gai's hand. "Goh? Y-you'll be okay, right?"

To his fear, Goh looked away at that question. "I won't give up. But… I hope Yuda and the others will get here soon."

"How long… do you think you can keep holding on?" No, he didn't want to be having this conversation. He couldn't have injured his friend so badly that, if Yuda wouldn't be here to heal him quick enough… No! Tears burning in his eyes again, Gai squeezed his friend's cold hand.

"Some hours, at least. But if they're not here by the time tomorrow comes… I don't know if Yuda will be able to still heal me." Another faint smile, but Gai could see the fear in Goh's mismatched eyes. "I guess you really did learn a lot from sparring."

For a moment, Gai felt like hitting him. Then he felt like more like hitting himself. "I'm so sorry… Damn, I can never be sorry enough for doing this to you."

"You wouldn't have hurt me if it weren't for the demon's powers. Speaking of which, we should be careful not to be caught off guard. I don't know if the demon's free to move around herself."

"Let's hope not. I can't possibly defeat her on my own, and you can't even sit up by yourself."

"To be honest, I don't think I could sit up even with help." It was a pathetic attempt at a joke, and the effect was the opposite of the intended one.

"Shut up!" Finally, the tears actually fell down Gai's cheeks. "Don't talk like that! You're scaring me."

"Sorry." Shivering a bit, the brunette closed his eyes. "Just… if I pay too much attention to it seriously… I think the pain might drive me crazy."

That scared him even more, but at least his friend was honest. "Can I do anything to help? Should I remove the rocks?"

"B-better not. They're holding back the blood now, if you remove them I'll bleed to death within minutes." The trembling of his voice nearly made Gai want to scream for Yuda to come and save Goh. "Just… keep talking or anything. Don't let me fall asleep." Or worse. For Goh to actually ask him something like that, it had to be literally a life or death situation, Gai knew. The brunette wasn't the type of person to ask for support unless he really needed it. Damn… Still unable to fight off his tears, the small blonde started caressing Goh's hair.

"So… What should I talk about?"

"Eh…" He thought for a moment. "Anything that comes to your mind?"

"You should wash your hair. And your clothes are dirty."

"I meant thoughts, not complaints." Still, Goh couldn't help but to grin faintly.

"I hope my cats haven't eaten Rei's birds yet." It earned him another chuckle. "If they have, I'll have to think of some way to run. But he can fly faster than I can run, and climbing a tree won't do too much good either. Maybe I should keep the kitchen supplies as hostages?"

"Retard."

"What? Ruka is too strong to be held hostage. Though I could always try Shin, but then Yuda would definitely be on Rei's side."

"Maybe you should just trust Maya not to forget about your cat-friends?"

"Also a possibility," Gai nodded. Crap, he was running out of ideas. "Eh… nothing else comes to mind, to be honest."

"Then you really must be scared, not to know anything to say." That came out way more quiet than the last few remarks. "You're usually never silent, unless you have to be."

"The one I love is currently lethally wounded because of me. Sorry for not feeling too joyful."

A long silence. "Come here, lie down with me." Silently, Gai complied, carefully placing one arm over Goh's chest. The brunette just leaned his head against Gai's, and smiled softly. "Stop crying, please. There's no need to feel so bad about this."

"B-but… I'm scared." Terrified, would be the right word for it.

"Don't be. They'll hurry. They'll be here in time, and we'll be able to finish this assignment."

Gai only nodded in response, inwardly begging for Goh to be right.

Walking towards the door, Rei took a deep breath. Unconsciously, his hand searched Ruka's, then held on to it tightly. This was one of the deepest circles, this would be one of the hardest fights. Besides that, he had a bad feeling about Gai and Goh, an almost painful urge to get to them as quickly as possible. Still, he knew hurrying would be an unwise idea in this situation. The demon lurking in this circle wouldn't let them pass easily, and if they'd underestimate the danger even a little bit, it could end up being lethal to them all. They'd never be able to help their friends if they'd end up being killed themselves, and then both Heaven and Earth would be doomed.

Thinking about it like that only served to make the bad feeling grow even worse, and he forced his thoughts to a stop when he reached the door. Don't think about the problems in the near future. For now, they had to live in the moment, concentrate only on their current task and it's dangers. Only that way, they'd have a chance to get through.

The way his angel held onto his hand, though, so stiff and almost painful, couldn't help but to make him worry about yet another thing. This circle was the one of traitors against their homeland. Antenora, the demon who inhabited this circle, had the power to bring up those emotions and dreaded memories in anyone's mind, whoever walked in here. He and Shin only had betrayed Heaven by helping Ruka and Yuda when they had fought against Zeus. Those memories were bad, but it was nothing they wouldn't be able to handle.

Ruka and Yuda on the other hand, had a lot more on their plate. After seeing his friends break down multiple times, Rei had been forced to admit that the trauma wasn't possible to overcome, just by the fear of the moment. Being in danger wouldn't stop their memories from almost literary tearing them down. If that would happen, he and Shin had to fight Antenora alone. Two angels protecting their loved ones as well as themselves, against one of the strongest demons who had ever lived. Those odds weren't too good, even when taking into consideration that they weren't 'just' simple angels.

Shaking his head, he forced those thoughts to fade too. Live in the moment, concentrate on the current situation. Which right now, required him to sent his beloved one a reassuring smile, as Ruka sent him a worried glance.

"Shin, will the spell from the other circles work on this door too?" Yuda asked, looking up at the dark and slightly battered doors. From up close, they looked even more intimidating.

The blue-haired angel nervously shook his head. "These are the deepest circles, which contain the most evil. One of the books read a more powerful spell for these, as that is the only way to prevent the convicted to be strong enough to escape from here. That is, if they'd somehow manage to try so, without the demon knowing it." After taking a somewhat shaky breath, he asked; "Are we ready?"

"Yes," Yuda responded, after a short glance at Ruka and Rei. Shin's slender hands trembling almost unnoticeably, he pulled a note out of a pocket and read the spell.

With a loud noise, not exactly a creak but more of a deep moan, the doors shoved open. The four angels automatically stepped back when a swarming mass of souls moved towards the newly opened exit. Then, a scream unlike any Rei had ever heard before sounded. As if they'd hit an electric fence, the souls flinched back, whining loudly. At the same time, the angels stepped forward, the doors shutting behind them with a bang. Somehow filtering out all light. All but a somehow terrifying red glow, far in the distance, some vague shadow moving almost unnoticeably in the middle. Even though nothing happened yet, nothing attacked them at this instant, Rei knew with a icy certainty that they had been noticed.

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**Another two-week wait, sorry about that. This chapter was hard to write, since it contains multiple parts that are important to the plot (and I wanted to get them right, not to write them hurriedly)  
I hope it was worth the wait ^^'**

**I'm starting with the new chapter right now, so again I'll try to update next Sunday ^^**


	31. Facing the darkness inside

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

"Let's keep moving," Yuda remarked, his voice low. "It has seen us, there's no reason to make ourselves an even easier target."

Rei felt Shin grabbing his hand, his other still being held by Ruka. Knowing Yuda was up front, holding Shin's other hand, he felt a bit less vulnerable. That thing in the distance… it made him feel like a rat in a seemingly easy, but yet terrifying maze. The ancient, soulless power which it glowed with, was unlike anything they'd ever fought. Also, Rei had the unpleasant feeling that it was much larger than it appeared, further away than the strong aura suggested it to be. That feeling grew when they started walking, and he noticed how dauntingly slowly they got closer to the demon.

"Shin? What have you read about that demon?" Yuda asked, almost in a whisper.

"Not much, it doesn't seem like many people have actually encountered her. Or at least, have lived to write about it," the blue-haired angel replied just as silently, his voice tense. "But there aren't any specific spells that we can try, we can only try to get past her by not letting her powers get to us. From what I've read, she doesn't physically attack. She uses your mind to make you emotionally attack yourself to the point of insanity." A short silence. "The people she kills that way, form about five percent of the souls trapped in this circle."

Rei felt Ruka's grip at his hand tightening. "How close do we have to be, until her powers can reach us?"

"She already can, probably." This time, Shin's voice actually trembled a bit. "I don't know if the fact that she hasn't attacked us that way yet, is a good or a bad thing. If she truly wants to hit us hard, she'll wait until we're close and then use her powers. If she does use that tactic, there'll probably be other demons around to attack us physically while we're distracted."

"Which would be a good tactic, since there is no way we can protect ourselves fully. Not against a demon who is so strong," Yuda remarked.

"Shin and me should be able to fight off those memories and feelings she'll be waking, as they aren't as bad as yours and Ruka's," Rei said quietly. "So wouldn't it be an idea if Shin and me would concentrate on fighting off those demons, while you two concentrate on fighting your memories?" A long silence followed, and the purple-haired angel wondered guiltily if he shouldn't have put it that way. "I mean…"

"I understand," Ruka interrupted him softly. "It's just… not a good feeling to admit that you're right. Not in this case, I mean."

"We have no way of knowing how many lower-class demons are there, and there is a chance that there'll be too many to defeat when it's just the two of you fighting them."

"We also have no way of knowing how strong she'll make the two of you relive what has happened. And all we can do to help, is to make sure that you won't get hurt physically," Shin said. As always, his logic was hard to argue against, and Ruka nor Yuda even tried to. Still, Rei felt Ruka's grip on his hand tightening even more. The best course of action wasn't always the easiest, even though it would only cause more problems not to think with their mind instead of their heart.

In complete silence, the four angels kept walking steadily. Although they still didn't seem to get significantly closer to the demon, Rei felt the strange aura surrounding it grow stronger at a disturbingly quick rate. How much power exactly did Antenora have? Thinking about it terrified him, and he forced himself to focus on their surroundings. Nothing much to see, apart from faintly visible souls drifting aimlessly around. That, and his friends. Shin seemed to feel exactly the same as he did, and the two shared a short look of understanding. Yuda and Ruka, though, appeared to be in a different state of mind, both of them staring at the ground a few feet ahead, refusing to look up at what they were heading to. There was no other choice than to pass right by the demon, though, if they wanted to have any chance of reaching Gai and Goh before tomorrow.

"How far have we walked yet?" Rei asked softly, to no one in particular.

As expected, Shin answered; "About a mile, I think. We should be close to her already, but she seems to change the perspective in this place somehow."

"What?" Yuda asked confused."

"I mean, she could be way closer than we think. We're facing one of the most powerful demons here, even the books don't know all about her powers."

Nervously, Rei looked around again. "Then we might not even know how close we are, until we practically step on her toes." He could almost imagine how Gai would've grinned at that idea. Honestly, Hell seemed a lot less horrifying whenever the small blonde made a joke or laughed about something. That somewhat childish, carefree nature of his made every situation seem less serious, somehow. Even though Gai hadn't seemed that carefree lately. Even Rei had noticed that, but he would've felt out of place if he'd said something about it. Whatever it was, the blonde would probably solve it or at least talk about it if he needed to.

To his own surprise, he realized he'd been distracted for a moment. Not a good thing, not in this time and place. Forcing himself to concentrate on the demon again, he realized they had advanced a lot, suddenly. Antenora seemed to be a lot closer suddenly, even though they hadn't quickened their pace. So she really did have some kind of power over this place. His mind screamed at him to stop walking now, but there wasn't another choice than to face her.

While he kept staring at the demon, suddenly the view seemed to blur. From that point onwards, all seemed to go far too quickly. Suddenly, the demon was right in front of them. A large red glow, a deep dark shadow within. Even though Antenora seemed more like a smoky shadow instead of a physical being, there was nothing unreal about the terrified feeling she caused. The convicted souls were gone, moved as far away from the demon as they could. Then, she finally showed her powers.

A raw feeling of hurt and regret went through him, memories of fighting against Zeus flashing before his eyes. His knees collapsed underneath him, but the pain of hitting the ground helped him to escape the memories enough to look around. Shin appeared to be in the same state as himself, only still standing. Ruka and Yuda, however, were down on their knees, covering their faces like they were trying to hide from the past they were reminded of. Looking towards Antenora, he saw demons emerging from the dark smoke of the larger demon's body. They moved directly towards the four angels, their cruel snarls and growls leaving no doubt what their intentions were.

"Shin! They're coming," Rei warned, his voice shaking slightly. Still, he managed to stand up relatively steadily and stepped forward. His friend did the same, positioning themselves between the demons and their beloved ones. This wouldn't be an easy fight, but with Ruka and Yuda behind them, letting the demons pass them by wasn't an option.

An almost surrealistic moment of pure silence, when the first couple of demons came within attack range. Rei felt his heart-rate increasing, his body readying itself for the fight while his mind tried its hardest not to panic. Then, the first demon attacked, and from that moment on there wasn't any time to panic.

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**I'll update in about a week ^-^**


	32. Won't give up

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

Unable to even think before acting, Rei brought out his wings and launched an attack on the demons. From up in the air, he could easily aim on multiple demons at once, while Shin attacked the closest demons from the ground. Ruka and Yuda didn't even appeared to be aware of what was going on, completely trapped in their memories and regret. For a moment, all Rei wanted to do was to get back down and hold his beloved one, to somehow force away those memories.

No. Not now, this wasn't the time.

With effort, he forced himself to focus on the demons, to destroy them before they could reach Ruka and Yuda. That was the way to help them now, the only truly useful way to help them. With all his might, he shot at any demons in range. None of them survived, neither did the ones who got hit by Shin's attacks. But there just didn't seem to come an end to the stream of creatures. Even from Rei's point of view, a few feet up in the air, they appeared to somehow materialize from the shadow which formed Antenora.

Which could mean two things. Either the demons came from somewhere behind her, and went through her to get to the angels. Or she actually formed them. The latter was a lot more disturbing, as he had no idea how many demons Antenora would be able to form until she would have to rest. He didn't even know if she ever needed rest. For a moment, he felt himself panicking, but quickly forced himself to keep calm and to keep fighting. They wouldn't fail. Zeus wouldn't have sent them if there was no way for them to succeed.

Almost without even thinking anymore, he fought on. Shin appeared to do the same, until finally the stream of demons ended. At least, long enough for them to check up on their beloved ones. Just as Rei leaned next to Ruka, knowing there was no way he could calm the taller angel down right now, the aura of evilness seemed to spike. A cold certainty rose, if they wouldn't get away before she had recovered, they would not get away. "Shin, we have to run!" he yelled. As usual, his friend understood the plan without needing to wordily discuss it, and ran off. Rei followed instantly, using his wings and dragging Yuda and Ruka along through the air.

After what couldn't have been more than a minute, but felt like the most frightening day so far, the end of the cave came into view. Only seconds before they would hit it, Shin yelled the spell. Just in time, it opened. And then safely closed.

They were safe. For now. His heart still beating at high speed, Rei landed shakily. Yuda and Ruka didn't even respond, although to judge by their looks, the memories no longer held them captive. "R-Ruka?" Rei said softly. Slowly, his angel looked up. "Ruka…" Those crimson eyes spoke all that was needed. Tenderly, Rei wrapped his arms around him. Looking up briefly, he saw Shin caressing Yuda's hair.

Finally, after some moments, one of the two taller angels spoke. "We should move on, Gai and Goh might need us." Although his voice sounded somewhat strained from pain, he appeared to have recovered from Antenora's grip on his memories.

Ruka only nodded, but did move out of Rei's embrace. In silence, the four angels stood up, automatically waiting for Yuda to take the lead. Almost dejectedly, the red-haired angel did, giving Shin a grateful smile when the latter moved next to him so they walked side to side.

"Goh?" Worriedly, Gai shook at his friend's shoulder when Goh's eyes slid shut. "Hey, stay awake!"

"Nng…" Letting out a pained groan, the brunette opened his eyes again. "G-Gai?"

"Don't fall asleep, I'm scared you won't wake up again." The blonde hated how childish and scared his own voice sounded, but he couldn't suppress his panic at seeing how much of an effort it seemed to cost Goh not to pass out. Even his breathing appeared to get more and more labored. "Goh?"

Taking a shaky breath, the taller angel looked at him. "Gai… I think I was wrong."

"Eh? About what?" When Goh only looked away, not saying anything, he tenderly placed his hand on the brunette's cheek and forced him to look back at him. The look in those miss-matched eyes told him enough, told him everything he didn't want to know. Feeling his throat tightening from sheer panic, Gai sat up and leaned over his friend. "No! You can't… I'm so sorry…"

Goh only took another shaky breath, his face paling even worse. And again, he refused to look the blonde in the eyes.

"You said you wouldn't give up," Gai mumbled, unable to hide the hurt in his voice.

"I won't. But… they'll have to hurry… to be in time." His breathing hitched for a moment, and he closed his eyes in pain. "Sorry." More than a whispered 'no', Gai couldn't force out of his throat. Goh did reopen his eyes, though, both pain and a slight regret visible in them. "I guess… just to be safe… I should tell you now that…" The small blonde felt his throat tightening even more, tears gathering in his eyes. "Gai, I love you."

"I love you too," Gai whispered shakily. Goh gave him a faint smile, then his eyes slid shut again. "Goh!" No response at all. "Goh! Wake up!" Roughly, he shook at his beloved one's shoulders. "Goh! You can't leave me! G-Goh…" Still, nothing. Not even a hint of movement. None at all. "No…" Shocked, Gai could only stare at how the brunette laid there all too silent.

Something moved, from the direction of the entrance to this circle. Gai didn't even look up, not until he heard Rei's shocked whimper at seeing them. At that, he practically jumped up and dragged Yuda forward. "You have to save him, please!"

For a short moment, the red-haired angel only stared at Goh, then he almost automatically searched for all injuries and healed them. It took way too long for Gai's liking, but after what felt like ages, Yuda finally looked up at him. "His injuries are healed, it might be a while until he wakes up, though."

Gai nodded, some fresh tears running down his cheeks. "T-thank you."

"We might better get out of here quickly, and take a break in the next passage," Shin remarked, stress evident in his voice. "It'll be safer there, than it is here."

Yuda and Ruka exchanged glances for a moment, then Ruka looked at Gai. "If it's okay with you, I'll carry Goh. He's too tall for you to carry, and Yuda's injury shouldn't be aggravated."

Gai only nodded, cursing himself for not being able to help his friend. It almost startled him when Rei suddenly stepped in front of him and gently brushed the tears off his cheeks. "Can you tell us what exactly happened here, when we get to the passage?"

He didn't have much of a choice, so he merely nodded.

"Will you be okay?"

That question he hadn't expected, and for a moment he just stared at Rei afoul. "Y-yes." The purple-haired angel smiled sweetly at him, and suddenly Gai realized why people often went to Rei for comfort. At the moment, though, it only made more tears flow, as he honestly didn't feel like he deserved any comfort at all. To his surprise, Rei suddenly took him into his arms, lifting him off the ground. "Wha…"

"You're in no state to run, I'll carry you. No complaints, please." Gai didn't even think of complaining, he just wrapped his arms around Rei's neck and hid his face against the taller angel's chest.

Within minutes, to Rei's relieve, they reached the exit of this circle. He had no idea what was wrong with Gai, but by the way the blonde was currently trembling against him, he could tell it was serious. He didn't seem injured though, so it must be something else. "Gai? We're in the passage." In silence, the blonde got out of his arms.

In an almost awkward silence the angels sat down in a circle, Ruka laying down Goh with his head on Gai's lap. "So… can you tell us what exactly happened? Did the demon attack you?" Yuda then asked carefully.

"N-not exactly…" Staring at the floor, Gai told them what had happened. "I was so angry at Goh for not noticing that I l-love him… The demon used that to take over me. I nearly killed him." Again, the small blonde was crying, guilt visible in his eyes. "He managed to get me to snap out of it... And then all we could do was hoping you guys would get to us in time." There seemed to be something more, but the blonde just bit his lower lip, not going on. When Rei reassuringly put a hand on his shoulder, Gai managed to get the courage to end his story; "Just before he passed out… he told me he loves me too. But… I don't deserve that at all."

"He wouldn't love you if you wouldn't deserve it," Rei responded automatically, knowing in his heart that it was the truth.

Gai nodded, but obviously couldn't make himself believe it completely. "I really hope he'll wake up soon."

"It probably shouldn't be more than a few minutes," Yuda tried to reassure him. "Don't worry, he'll be all right."

"It'd be for the best not to go into the next circle before tomorrow morning, though," Shin remarked. "I think we all could use some rest."

That finally seemed to distract Gai a bit. "How did it went with you guys?"

After some glances at each other, Rei replied; "The demon did manage to get into Yuda and Ruka's memories, making them unable to fight. Shin and me apparently didn't have enough guilt and regret for her to get us down too. Then she sent a large group of demons to attack us, but Shin and me managed to defeat them, and that weakened her long enough for us to get away. Ruka and Yuda recovered quickly when we got out of that circle, and then we went searching for you two."

"Geez, sounds like a pleasant trip," Gai responded dryly.

Rei ginned softly, relieved to hear the blonde joking again. "Yeah, almost a vacation. Ouch! Hey, why me?" Glaring at Ruka, he rubbed at a painful spot on his head, where the other angel had just pulled at his hair.

"If you ever want a vacation there, then go alone." An almost sheepish look. "I didn't mean to pull that hard, though. Sorry."

"Never mind." A long silence followed, no one feeling the urge to say anything. What was there to discuss anyway? All there was to do now, was to wait for Goh to wake up, then they could eat dinner, and then sleep. And tomorrow, there'd be another possibly lethal demon to face. After a while, though, Rei felt a warm arm being wrapped around his shoulders, and gratefully leaned his head against his beloved one's shoulder. Yes, they'd face that demon. And defeat it. And then…

He refused to think further, not yet wanting to think about what they might have to face after that. It would be bad. Horrifying. But there was no use in trying to imagine it already. For now, he just forced himself to enjoy Ruka's warmth, the feeling of his beloved one holding him, for as long as he could.

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**I find it kinda difficult to write scenes like the one with Gai and Goh, but I hope it wasn't overly dramatic ^^'**

**I'll update soon^-^**


	33. A bit of peace

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**This chapter is short and late, sorry… School started again, so I've been busy ^^'**

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Even though he felt less guilty and scared than earlier, what Rei had said really did help, Gai still couldn't help but to almost count the seconds until Goh finally opened his eyes. Hazily, the brunette looked up at him for a moment, before blinking and then sitting up almost startled. "Easy, you've been out for almost half an hour!" Gai warned, automatically grabbing his friend's shoulder.

"That long? Sorry for worrying you, then," the brunette replied softly. "Eh, what happened after I passed out?"

"Yuda and the others arrived, he healed you, and we got out of there. We're now in the passage before the next circle." Looking away, he added; "And… I'm really sorry that you got hurt so badly because of me."

A soft smile. "You made that point clear for about a hundred times already. And…" Gently, he placed his hand on Gai's cheek, so that the blonde looked back at him. "Evidently, it was necessary to finally get that other point across. So it was worth it, I really do love you."

Letting out a slightly cat-like sound, Gai threw his arms around the taller angel and hugged him tightly. He honestly felt like he'd never been happier when Goh hugged him back and then gently kissed him. It felt both amazing and a bit awkward at the same time, still Gai regretted the fact that the touch didn't last longer. "Thanks so much for loving me," he whispered, inaudible for anyone but Goh. The brunette just smiled at him, before finally letting go of the blonde.

And then, Gai remembered that they weren't exactly alone. While Ruka, Yuda and Shin discretely looked at anything but Gai and Goh, Rei looked at them like they were characters in some horribly sweet movie. "What are you looking at?" Gai grumbled embarrassedly.

"S-sorry for staring," the purple-haired angel responded, his cheeks turning a bit red. "You two just look really cute together."

"Thanks, I guess," Goh chuckled. Gai finally grinned too, relieved that the brunette didn't seem embarrassed about this.

"Eh, shall we eat some dinner now?" Shin suggested, somewhat shyly. "Goh, I assume you feel all right now?"

"Yes. Yuda, thanks for healing me. Thanks for saving my life," the brunette replied, giving Yuda a grateful glance.

"You're welcome," the red-haired angel responded. "I'm glad we didn't get there any second later, though. You looked horrible."

"Yeah, that's no surprise," Goh chuckled. It earned him a slight glare from Gai, signaling him that it was too early yet to be joking about the subject. In response, the brunette gently combed his fingers through the blonde's hair, which served as enough of an apology.

After a quick dinner, the angels just chatted for a bit. After about half an hour, though, Rei noticed Ruka leaning against him more and more heavily. No wonder, after today, that even the silver-haired angel felt tired. Honestly, he was surprised that he himself didn't feel that sleepy yet. Maybe because he had only been physically fighting? His body did feel tired, he had to admit. Looking around, it seemed like Shin had the same problem. Still chatting along lively, but practically slumped against Yuda. Yuda and Ruka did appear to be sleepy, with Ruka leaning against Rei with his eyes half closed and Yuda leaning his head atop of Shin's, staring somewhat blankly at random spots on the floor and wall.

Surprisingly, Goh didn't seem that tired despite how injured he had gotten today. He wasn't really chatting along either, though. Instead, he was tenderly caressing Gai's hair and back, while the blonde laid on his lap. Very cat-like, Rei noticed amused. The blonde was clearly tired, all curled up and his eyes closed. However, he did seem pretty pleased by being petted by the brunette, smiling almost unnoticeably. Honestly, it looked cute. And Rei felt happy for them, to have finally found love too.

Letting out a deep sigh, Rei took another glance at Ruka. Honestly, he had been happy even before he had met Ruka. But now, knowing what it felt like to have such a relationship with someone, unconditional love and support, he knew he wouldn't be able to be without it again. Sure, most humans knew that connection from birth, as they had parents who loved them unconditionally. Angels, however, didn't have that. They had a peaceful world, friends and everything they needed. But that feeling of belonging with someone particular, was something not every angel would ever know. After all, they weren't even supposed to fall in love.

On this subject, he couldn't care less about what they were or weren't supposed to do.

Tenderly, he started caressing his beloved one's silky hair. Almost startled by that unforeseen touch, Ruka blinked and then looked at him sleepily. "You don't have to stay awake, you know?" Rei remarked softly.

"But we haven't yet decided who'll be guard after who," Ruka responded.

Apparently having heard that, Shin agreed; "We'll have to discuss that before anyone falls asleep. It's way too dangerous not to have someone sitting guard at all times."

"I'll go first, I'm not that tired," Goh offered.

"I can go after him," Rei said. Shin offered to go after him, then Ruka, then Yuda, and Gai would be the last. The blonde only nodded sleepily, without opening his eyes. Well, at least he'd be fully rested as soon as it would be his turn to be guard.

Conversation resumed, about everything besides their current assignment. Rei soon felt Ruka falling asleep, the taller angel's body relaxing fully against his side. Letting out a sigh, he leaned his head atop of Ruka's. His beloved one didn't respond to it, so he probably wasn't bothered. Good, because Rei didn't feel like moving at all, now that he was comfortable. Now that his body relaxed fully, though, his muscles let him know that they didn't like him anymore. Well, hopefully the soreness of his limbs and back would be gone in the morning, when he'd had some rest.

Ruka sighed softly and sluggishly wrapped an arm around Rei's waist. "Mmh…" Discretely, Rei continued caressing his beloved one's hair. Whatever dream had been haunting Ruka, it evidently got scared off by Rei's gentle touch. The purple-haired angel couldn't help smiling when Ruka sighed again, moving his head a bit towards Rei's touch. At moments like this, he kind of reminded Rei of a baby bird. He wasn't sure if his angel would feel embarrassed if he'd ever tell him that, but Rei honestly did mean it as a complement of some sort. How vulnerable and cute his angel seemed right now, just made Rei want to hold him in his arms forever, protecting him from any possible harm. At these moments, he also understood perfectly how Ruka felt, when he made Rei feel overly protected again.

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**I'll update soon^^**


	34. Notsosleepless nights

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Another late update… School is really busy at the moment, I actually have to do work now XD**

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In silence, Rei stared at the wall in front of him. Goh had drifted off to sleep within minutes, after waking Rei to inform him that it was the purple-haired angel's turn to be guard. The others were all asleep too, Ruka still leaning against him. To his relieve, the soreness of his body was already fading, so he knew he'd be perfectly fine in the morning. They'd need to be at full strength in the morning, considering what they'd have to face then. Only one demon left. Only one, before they'd have to face…

He still didn't know what they'd have to face. But from the start, it had somehow been out of the question that it would be Lucifer. Or at least, the fallen angel wouldn't be the main source of evilness. Lucifer and Gabriel would've contacted at least Ruka and Yuda, they wouldn't have kept in the shadows for so long. This time, however, the true source of evil hadn't shown itself yet. It had merely been attracting power to itself, enough to be noticed by Zeus. But if it were already that powerful, it undoubtedly had more strength than Lucifer and Gabriel combined.

Which brought him to the next question; did it actually think for itself? Was it a being, or an embodiment of dark powers controlled by someone else? If the latter were to be the case, it might as well be the work of the two fallen angels. Which would make it all more difficult for Yuda and Ruka. Which, now he thought about it, could actually be a good thing. After all, it had been Lucifer and Gabriel who had convinced Yuda and Ruka to rebel against Zeus. But only the two Saint Beast's had been severely punished, as Lucifer and Gabriel were already beyond Zeus' reach. So Ruka and Yuda wouldn't hesitate to attack the two fallen angels at full force.

Would that be enough, if the two fallen ones truly had a demon of unthinkable powers under their control? It would be. They couldn't fail, not now. It would mean inevitable death, and Rei refused to undergo that fate. He wanted to have centuries of fun with Ruka, adventures, love. And to be honest; sex. To say it bluntly, failing and dying just weren't compatible with his schedule.

Taking a deep breath and forcing all of those thoughts to the back of his mind, he looked around at his friends. They were all still sleeping, Goh leaning back against the wall with Gai on his lap. Yuda was leaning against both the wall and Shin, while the blue-haired angel had his arms loosely wrapped around the taller angel's waist. Rei couldn't help but to notice, though, how Yuda's face still seemed a bit paler than usual. At least he appeared to be relaxed, not a sign of stress or pain on his face.

Actually, Ruka was the only one who didn't appear to sleep calmly. Even in sleep, his grip on Rei's waist was almost uncomfortably tight. Carefully not to wake his angel, Rei turned a bit to hold him with both arms. For a moment, Ruka tensed, almost moving away from the smaller angel. "It's only me, don't wake up. Just sleep. I'm here." At the sound of Rei's voice, those whispered words, Ruka relaxed again and practically slumped against his friend. Rei just kept holding him softly, knowing not to move his angel now. Besides, it wasn't like he had any objections against having Ruka laying in his arms like this. And once his turn as guard would be over, he could lay his angel on the ground and then lay down with him.

Only about half an hour left, he knew. Then he'd have to wake up Shin. For which he'd have to let go of Ruka for at least a moment. If he'd try to wake up the blue-haired angel by calling out for him, the other angels would inevitably wake up too, so he had to wake Shin without making any noise. Well, at least Shin wasn't difficult to wake, usually. With the exception, of course, of when he was truly tired after using his power over time, for example.

Letting out a yawn, Rei decided to keep away from any thoughts considering tiredness and sleep. Instead, he quietly sighed and thought about home. More specifically, the birds and chickens who lived there, attracted by the angel's powers. Did they miss him, or wouldn't they notice how long he had been away already? He honestly didn't know, but he secretly hoped they did miss him a bit. But fact was, they were birds. As long as they were being fed, they were happy. However, they probably did notice the lack of Rei's gift to communicate with them, the sense of safety he always seemed to bring them. He didn't even exactly know it himself, how that worked, but he was incredibly happy to have birds as friends. After all, he loved birds of all sorts.

Kira and Maya were definitely missing the Saint Beast's. They were probably all right, but it made Rei feel worried and a bit guilty when he thought about how concerned the two half-angels must be right now. If only there was some way of contacting them, at least they'd be able to tell them that the assignment was going on fine. Or at least, that they hadn't been killed yet. But there was no way of contacting them, and Rei could empathize with how scary that must be for them. Well, nothing could be done about that. Only finishing the assignment would allow them to go back to their friends, and in every way it would be for the best to finish that as soon as possible.

Against him, Ruka let out a deep sigh. Tenderly, Rei gave him a kiss onto his forehead, before carefully laying him on the floor. More than half an hour had passed already, quicker than expected, and he had to wake up Shin to take over the duty of being guard. Ruka didn't respond when Rei moved away from him, to the smaller angel's relieve, and he quietly moved over to where Shin sat. Gently, he shook at the blue-haired angel's shoulder.

"Mmh…" Sleepily, Shin blinked a few times before those golden eyes looked back at Rei. "Is it my turn?"

"Yeah," the purple-haired angel nodded. "I can't wait until we're back home again, and we'll all be able to sleep through the entire night."

"Me neither," his friend instantly agreed. "It's not that bad, the first few times. But it's a fact that this assignment is tiring, which doesn't make it easier to be awake at night."

"Indeed." Unable to suppress a yawn, Rei moved back to his spot next to Ruka. "Speaking of which, I think I'd better try to fall asleep."

"You don't seem like you'll have much of a difficulty with that," Shin chuckled softly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Rei responded, curling up against Ruka's side. As expected, he drifted off to sleep within minutes.

Much later that night, when Ruka's shift as guard was nearly over, the silver-haired angel seriously doubted whether it would be a good idea to wake up Yuda to take over shift. His friend somehow looked paler now than he had last evening, and by the way his breathing hitched when he moved, it was clear that he was in pain. But if Ruka wouldn't wake him, Yuda would undoubtedly feel guilty about skipping his shift as guard. No choice but to wake him, despite how bad Ruka felt for having to do that.

Silently, he sat down across his friend, and carefully tugged at his hair. "Yuda!" It came out as a loud whisper, but only Shin stirred a bit. "Please, I don't want to have to shake at your shoulder." Even if he'd only touch the uninjured one, the movement would still hurt his friend. "Yuda!" This time, he actually pulled at the silky red hair.

"Ouch!" Wincing faintly, Yuda woke up and looked up at him a bit annoyed. "Do you have to be that rough?"

"Would you rather have me forcing your shoulder to move?"

A quiet sigh. "Not really." A silence followed, Yuda waiting for Ruka to respond, and Ruka trying to find the right words to say what he wanted to say. Eventually, he just lifted his hand and gently caressed the spot where he had pulled at Yuda's hair. "Eh… You're scaring me," the red-haired angel chuckled.

Which gave Ruka a chance to respond with; "You're scaring me too. You don't look too good." At that, Yuda averted his gaze towards the floor, those turquoise eyes reflecting something that almost looked like guilt. "I know this must be becoming an annoying thing to hear, but… Don't push yourself past your limits, not while you're already injured."

"I know." It was a short response, but an honest one.

"Besides that, wouldn't your fever lower a bit more if you'd get more sleep?" That just earned him a slight glare, telling him Yuda disagreed about what Ruka was trying to hint at. Okay, point taken. "I'll shut up. But wake me up if you can't keep your eyes open."

"I'll be fine. Go to sleep, before Rei misses you."

Carefully, Ruka went back to Rei's side, and curled up against the smaller angel. Without waking, Rei let out a deep sigh and curled up a bit too, his head against Ruka's chest. "Goodnight, Yuda."

"Goodnight."

Letting out a deep sigh, Ruka wrapped an arm around Rei's waist and closed his eyes. Still, it took a remarkably long time until he finally truly fell asleep, automatically snapping back to awareness every time Yuda made a move. Geez, he usually only had that with Rei. Come to think of it, it had already been that way even before he had fallen in love with the purple-haired angel. They had started out as best friends, and although the kind of friendship had always been very different, Yuda had always been his best friend. The red-haired angel just barely ever got hurt or ill, so Ruka had never before been worrying about him like this.

Now, he truly understood how Rei had felt about Shin, when the blue-haired angel had collapsed during their last assignment.

"Ruka, why aren't you asleep yet?" Yuda suddenly asked, quietly.

For a moment, Ruka considered trying to act like he was asleep, but he felt too much awake to even pretend. "I don't know," he responded, equally quiet. A long silence, and eventually he opened his eyes to look at his friend. Sensing that movement, Yuda looked back at him, those turquoise eyes betraying that he knew all too well why the silver-haired angel wasn't asleep yet. Unsure of what to say, Ruka turned his gaze towards Rei. The smaller angel was still sleeping peacefully, unaware of the tension in the air. "Sorry," Ruka eventually mumbled, unable to think of anything else to say, but needing to break the silence.

"Eh? What for?"

"I'm probably kind of annoying right now," the silver-haired angel explained softly, refusing to look at his friend. "But… It's not really a usual thing to see you injured. Especially not on such a dangerous mission as this. So I just can't force myself to stop worrying."

Another silence, but a short one this time. "Ruka, you're not annoying for worrying. I just hate it to be weak."

"I understand. But… me worrying is not because I think of you as weak. You're my best friend, you're the only one who shares the same experience about Hell, and you and Rei are the ones I care the most about in any world."

"I know how you feel. But then you should understand that you're not in any way helping me by losing sleep over worrying about me."

That was undeniably the truth. Letting out a sigh, Ruka closed his eyes again. "But falling asleep is easier said than done."

"Is it?" Yuda responded dryly. "I can't really relate to that, at the moment."

"Like I said, if you're too tired…"

"Did you actually listen to what I said? Please just try to sleep."

"I want to, I simply can't." Carefully not to stir Rei, Ruka sat up and then moved to Yuda's side. "I won't fall asleep until you can get some rest anyway, so please allow me to sit with you." Yuda just sent him a slightly guilty look, but then let out a sigh and looked at some random spot on the ground. Well, at least he didn't complain, or told Ruka to go away.

In silence, the two angels sat together, Yuda forcing himself not to tremble too badly. Honestly, he hadn't expected his body to betray him this much. Usually, he could handle pain. Now, though, a mere shoulder injury had actually made him end up with a fever, just because how much it tired him out to walk around in pain all day long. It wasn't just that he hated it to make his friends worry, but also a certain level of shame about the condition he was in. Which was the reason why he had been less than friendly towards Ruka, even though his friend was only trying to help.

In truth, it did make him feel slightly better to have Ruka at his side, although it also made him feel guilty because his friend should have been asleep right now. So instead of saying anything that might make the silver-haired angel feel obligated to keep sitting with him, he just kept quiet. At least, until Ruka slowly fell asleep and nearly dropped against the red-haired angel's shoulder. The injured one. "Hey, be careful!" It came out as a hiss, as his shoulder sent out a wave of pain when he moved to catch Ruka. The silver-haired angel didn't even seem to notice it, he just curled up a bit and slept on peacefully.

Geez, so much for not being able to sleep. Despite everything, Yuda couldn't help smiling softly.

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**I'll update as soon as I can^^**


	35. Fiery coldness

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

***hides behind a pile of homework* Yeah, I'm late. Okay, more than late… And I'm really sorry for that ^-^;**

**I've been trying to find time to write, but school is just really busy. Having been used to my last school, I hadn't expected it to be this much work (at my last school, the word 'homework' wasn't even in the dictionary). But the good news is; I'm nearly done with one big project (I had to write a business-plan), I only have to make a few changes, so I hope to have it finished within a week. Also, there are two papers which I'm working on, but I'm planning on having them done before Christmas break. And after that, more projects are waiting… Good thing I like the subjects, otherwise it might have gotten annoying XD  
However, as soon as the business-plan is fully finished, I can schedule the work in a way that'll allow me enough time to write. I don't expect to be able to update every Sunday, like I used to. But I will be able to update at least monthly ^-^**

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Anyhow, here's a short update to let you all know I'm still working on this fanfic, and why it's taking so much time. Sorry for the long wait, and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter ;)

When morning came, Rei woke up with a faint sense of something missing. "Ruka?" he mumbled, slowly opening his eyes and sitting up.

"He's still asleep," Gai informed him, grinning.

"Eh?" Surprised, Rei looked around, wondering why Ruka had chosen not to sleep at his side this time. When he spotted his beloved one, though, he suddenly understood. Ruka sat next to Yuda, both angels slumped against each other and asleep. How cute, Rei couldn't help but to think. Carefully moving closer, he shook at Shin's shoulder to wake him up. As the blue-haired angel opened his eyes, Rei silently pointed at Ruka and Yuda.

"Aww, that looks so sweet," Shin remarked, smiling softly. Rei didn't miss the hint of worry in his friend's eyes, though, and he didn't have to wait long for an explanation. "Yuda must've really felt bad, if he didn't force Ruka to lay down and sleep, instead of sitting with him." Tenderly, Shin caressed some hair away from the red-haired angel's face. Yuda only let out a sigh, sleeping on peacefully.

"If he let Ruka sit with him, even though his turn as guard was over, then he must've felt better with Ruka sitting next to him. At least that's a good thing, right?" Rei tried to cheer up his friend.

"I guess so, considering the situation." Still, the blue-haired angel didn't look relieved at all. "I just hope he feels better now, than he did last night."

"Yeah. I guess we should wake them, it's already morning." For a moment, the two angels just stared at their beloved ones, before looking at each other. "Shall we both wake up one of them?" Rei suggested, ignoring Gai grinning behind them. Shin smiled softly and nodded, though, so they both leaned over to their angels and woke them. At the exact same moment as the other, Yuda and Ruka opened their eyes. "Did you both sleep well?" Rei asked.

"I did," Ruka replied, before sending Yuda a concerned glance when the red-haired angel only nodded vaguely. "Yuda?"

"I slept well too, my shoulder just made me wake up a few times," Yuda explained, smiling somewhat sheepishly. "No need to worry."

"You're still rather pale, though," Shin remarked, tenderly caressing the taller angel's hair. "Are you really okay?"

For a moment, Yuda wanted to say 'yes', if only not to worry his friends, and most importantly, Shin. But the look in those bright golden eyes told him that lying about the subject would only serve to make his beloved one feel even more worried. "It still hurts, but I don't think the fever has worsened," he replied, quietly but truthfully. Like expected, Shin immediately put his hand on the taller angel's forehead, to check up on the fever. Despite his last bit of pride, Yuda couldn't help but to close his eyes for a moment and enjoy the coolness of his angel's hand, even though their friends were watching.

"It feels about the same, indeed," Shin noted. "Hopefully it'll lower soon." Just when Yuda wanted to open his eyes, Shin pulling back his hand, the blue-haired angel kissed him softly onto his lips. "I'd wish I could do anything to make you feel better," he whispered. "Anything."

"Shin…" Smiling faintly against his beloved one's lips, Yuda replied; "Your love is all I need to feel better." Opening his eyes to see his angel's face, he couldn't suppress a grin when he noticed the redness of Shin's cheeks. So cute, and yet it made him more beautiful too. At least, in Yuda's eyes. Letting out a sigh, he reluctantly let go of his beloved one. "We shouldn't lose too much time, especially not while we're so close to what we're looking for already."

Shin merely nodded, obviously not looking forward to reaching the deepest point of Hell. Not that any of them were looking forward to it, or to the two circles they'd still had to cross. After a short, silent breakfast, though, they reluctantly stood up and walked to the end of the passage, Yuda and Goh walking up front. Honestly, Yuda had never felt more thankful for the brunette's capability of taking over his role as leader. Although Goh obviously didn't try to do so, it was a relieve not to have to feel fully responsible for making decisions.

Still, he felt more scared than he would have liked, when they reached the end of the passage. The smell of sulfur was even stronger here, than it had been in the other circles, and the darkness was only lit up by fires all around the place. Nothing to see in the distance, but more of those strange fires, but somehow he knew the demon was watching them. "Let's just keep walking ahead, the demon probably won't let us see it until it wants us too," he said softly. The others only nodded, and in silence they walked on.

Passing right by one of the fires, Yuda finally realized why they seemed so strange. There wasn't anything visible burning, the flames just came out of thin air. For some reason, in this place, it was too disturbing to even be slightly interesting to keep looking at. He couldn't help but to notice, though, that the further they got, the larger the fires seemed to get. When he looked into one again, he nearly froze. Vaguely, their shapes almost hidden by the crimson flames, convicted souls were squirming to break free. Of course, they could never escape their cruel punishment, but they kept trying anyway. And they would eternally, or until their pain and hatred would finally turn them into demons.

"H-how long does this circle go on?" Rei asked, his quiet voice trembling.

"There's no way of knowing," Shin responded. "All there is to see, are those burning souls. I wonder were the demon is."

"The demon of this circle is Ptolomea, right?" Goh said. "None of us should have any emotional trouble with her"

This circle held the souls who had been traitors to their guests, Yuda remembered. It almost felt nice to be in a circle that didn't make any unwanted memories rise. The atmosphere seemed to get worse, though, and he suspected they were getting close to the centre of this circle. Which undoubtedly meant they'd have to face Ptolomea. And fight it.

Glancing at Yuda, Shin's stomach tightened painfully from concern when he noticed the paleness of his angel's face. Damn, what if Yuda wouldn't be strong enough to defend himself against the demon? What if his injured shoulder would make him too much of an easy target? And they didn't even know what to expect from Ptolomea, none of the books had specified anything. Which could mean that either no one had yet made it to here, or no one had lived to tell the tale. Neither of those possibilities was very comforting. The demon was strong, without doubt. But how did it attack? Physically? Mentally? Were there lesser demons around to fight them? He suddenly felt himself trembling, and forced his thoughts to come to a stop. It was of no use to keep thinking about those things, those questions wouldn't be answered until they'd actually reach the demon. It'd only be a nuisance if he'd allow himself to panic about it now.

Whatever he tried to keep his mind busy, though, he simply couldn't stop worrying about Yuda.

Despite all the fires, the temperature felt like it was nearly freezing. Shivering slightly, Rei moved a bit closer to Ruka. Had it been this cold ever since they stepped into this circle? It couldn't have been, he'd definitely have noticed that. But what was causing the temperature to drop like this? 'Accidentally' touching Ruka's hand, he noticed it wasn't cold. But neither was his own, he realized. A shiver went through his spine when Rei realized it wasn't the temperature at all, which caused it to be this could. It was something else, something way more deep and disturbing. Something even Antenora and Caïna hadn't been able to cause.

Having felt his touch, Ruka looked at him. Rei tried his best to smile like he wasn't scared at all, but failed inevitably. A moment later, though, any regret about that was gone, when Ruka tenderly wrapped an arm around the smaller angel's shoulder, obviously not intending to let go of him until he'd have to.

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**So… I hope this pointless little chapter wasn't too disappointing, after all this time… **

**I'll update within a month! Geez, that sounds like such a long time… *is annoyed with the fact that a day only lasts 24 hours* ^-^;**


	36. Evil flares up

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Late again… got new projects at school to work on. On the bright side: I can hopefully be done with school half a year earlier than expected, because of that project.  
Anyhow, this chapter is longer than the last ones, and I hope it's also a bit better ^-^' So to whoever is still reading this story, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**

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The further the six angels walked, the stronger the smell of sulfur seemed to get. The fires increased too, not in numbers, but in size. Watching them almost fearfully, Rei had noticed that while they had been only a few feet tall at the beginning of this circle, they now were taller than the angels were. Which wasn't exactly comforting. He didn't really expect the fires to attack them, but yet he didn't feel too sure that they wouldn't. After all, they were in Hell. And these fires, which were fed by nothing but thin air, clearly weren't just a natural thing.

"Man, I'd wish we'd just encounter that demon already," Gai complained, unable to fully hide the fear in his voice.

"I'd rather just be passed it already," Ruka responded.

"Alive, preferably," Yuda added dryly.

"I don't think we're that far away anymore," Shin remarked. "The sulfur in the air is so thick, it can barely get any worse. I do wonder, though, if those fires are under its control too. They're much larger than the ones at the beginning, and it seems almost like they're approaching us."

Feeling a shiver running through his spine, ironically, Rei took another look at them, and realized his friend was right in a very disturbing manner. It wasn't that the fires were actually located closer to them. Rather, they appeared to lean over at them, their flames reaching out to get as close to the angels as possible. Which made Rei all too eager to keep walking in a straight line, not getting any closer to them than absolutely necessary. Even if there wasn't some supernatural effect to the touch of those flames, he had the common sense to know that touching fire hurts.

"Rei, maybe we can fly up to check ahead. If we're close already, we should be able to see the demon in the light of those fires," Ruka suggested.

"That'd be a good idea indeed, but be careful not to get attacked if it sees you." Turning around to look at them, Yuda added; "It has probably seen us already, but it might see you as a direct threat."

Both Ruka and Rei nodded. "We'll watch out. But if the fires get too close, it could be a good thing if out wings are already spread." Even if that did mean that they'd be a lot weaker in battle. But no one seemed to be that eager to point that out, therefore it kept quiet. Giving each other a silent look, Rei and Ruka spread their wings and slowly flew up.

"Can you see the top of this cave?" Ruka asked, stating up into the darkness.

"No, can you?"

Ruka shook his head. "Better not get too high, then."

Despite everything, Rei couldn't suppress a slight chuckle at that mental image. It wouldn't be good for their egos to get knocked down by the ceiling, instead of the enemy. It earned him a somewhat strange look from Ruka, but his angel didn't make any comment on it. Instead, he looked ahead in the distance, and Rei followed his gaze.

Every last bit of non-stress related emotions disappeared, as they saw the form in the distance. It wasn't particularly large, or small. It wasn't even all there. Instead of a true figure, hundreds of those creepy fires had concentrated on one spot, but instead of light their flames appeared to spread shadows. Which was why it hadn't been visible from the ground, it was too much hidden in the darkness of the flames. Only when seeing the full being, it was clear that it was actually there.

A sudden realization hit Rei, and he suddenly grabbed Ruka's arm. "Those fires," he mumbled, when his angel looked at him. "If the demon consist from those fires, doesn't that mean it fully controls them?"

Ruka's faced paled a bit. "That wouldn't be surprising. Damn… We'll get burned to ashes if it'll use all those fires to attack us."

"Let's get down to the ground to inform the others," Rei decided, forcing himself not to panic.

Only a moment later, though, it truly was time to panic. Having spotted the angels, the demon didn't bother lurking in the shadows for any longer. Just when Rei and Ruka started to move down to the ground, the flames flared up, encircling their friends and meanwhile making it impossible to get to the ground.

On instinct, Rei attacked, his ice managing to break the flames for long enough to see their friends on the ground. Without any need for discussion, Rei and Ruka did the same as they saw their friends doing. Moving towards the demon as fast as they could, fighting away the flames. Only Yuda looked up for a moment, and his gaze crossed Ruka's. Then, the flames flared up again, and Rei realized that, although they were practically at the same place above the air, this demon had managed to split them.

"Ruka!" His angel only nodded in response, immediately understanding what Rei wanted to say. But there wasn't much they could do about it now. As long as they'd all keep moving in the same direction, it wasn't a direct problem. It would be a problem if Ruka and Rei would get hurt while diving through the flames, to get to their friends. Besides, being split up like this, could even work in their advantage. It gave them the perfect opportunity to attack from multiple angles at once.

All too soon, they had reached the demon, and it attacked. The flames shot towards the angels, the shadows stretching all around them. Rei felt the heat, at instinctively he used his ice powers to shoot back at the demon. The creature let out a loud noise, a scream you'd expect to hear from a burning house full of people. Rei couldn't help but to cover his ears to block it out, as did his friends. The demon instantly used that opportunity to attack again, its aim bad enough to barely hit, but enough to cause pain.

Flames almost hitting his legs, Rei let out a cry at the heat. "Keep attacking it!" he heard Yuda's voice coming from the ground. Indeed, if they'd just keep attacking it, then it would get tired eventually. Just like the last large demon, right? He could only hope, but it was the only strategy they had.

The six angels kept shooting at the creature, barely bothering to aim at a specific spot. It didn't seem to matter where they hit it anyway, it would always let out that horrible scream. It did seem to change, though, as the angels kept attacking it. Instead of pain, the sound started holding more and more angel. And something else, a demonic undertone like Rei had never heard before. Honestly, he'd wish he'd never heard it, as the sound would probably come back to haunt him in some nightmares.

At least that was a sign that their constant attacking was affecting the demon in any way. It wasn't noticeable at all by the way it still attacked them in return. Rei and Ruka managed to avoid being hit by flying around, but the four angels on the ground were less lucky. Looking down for a moment, Rei saw them struggling not to get fried. This had to end quickly, that realization seemed to almost give him more energy to fight. As his shooting got more powerful, he saw his friends' attacking in the same way. But how long could they keep this up?

The demon suddenly let out yet another scream, the flames fading out a bit. As if it were on purpose, the Saint beasts now all attacked at once. Another scream, the flames shaking violently before flaring around with more raw power than they had shown before. Rei heard his friends on the ground screaming as they got hit, couldn't stop a scream of his own when he and Ruka got also touched by the flames, but no one stopped attacking. Then, like someone had just lowered the gas of a stove, the flames went down.

"Now! Run!" someone yelled, it sounded like Goh. In blind panic, rather than following up a strategy, the six angels ran past the demon. A large door, closer than they'd thought. Of course, the demon's shadows had been there for a reason, making it impossible to see anything past it. Not dwelling on that subject, Shin said the spell and the doors opened, leading the angels into another lava-lit passage. When the door closed behind them, it almost felt like they were safe.

That feeling faded soon, though, when Rei had calmed down enough to look up. Including himself, no one got away without a scratch. Or rather, without any burns. Even Yuda had a burn on his left side, and Rei had never felt more guilty when Yuda wordlessly started healing the other angels' injuries. No one said anything, but their looks said enough. Only one more circle before they'd reach the deepest point of Hell. No way that burn, or Yuda's shoulder, would be healed by itself before that. Not only did that make the whole situation a lot more dangerous, due to the fact that if Yuda would end up too injured or worse to heal them for the fight against whatever waited after the ninth circle. It also meant that he'd be an easier target. And somehow, evil beings always managed to know that, and they wouldn't hesitate to use that against the angels. If they'd lose anyone at this point, they wouldn't be able to win this fight. Knowing that, the demons would undoubtedly attack the already wounded angel first.

"I… I think it'd be better to wait until tomorrow, before going into the last circle," Shin remarked softly. "It's already late in the afternoon, and those demons are even stronger at night." No one argued about that, only Yuda looked at the floor a bit guiltily. Still, he went on with healing his friends without saying anything.

Ruka was the last one to be healed. "Thanks," he mumbled. "And… sorry that none of us can heal you."

"Like that's your fault," Yuda responded dryly. "As long as five out of six angels are at full health, we'll stand a chance of completing this assignment."

"Now that's positive thinking," Gai grinned. The tension in the air faded a bit, and while Ruka and Goh searched for demonic reptiles to eat, Shin tried his best to take care of Yuda's injury.

The fact that the red-haired angel refused to accept help, though, didn't make him an easy patient. "Just show me the burn!" Shin finally yelled at him. "I don't care if I can or can't help, at least allow me to try!" Yuda just stared at him for a moment, the look of surprise on his face was almost funny. "Show me the injury. Now." This time, the red-haired angel nodded softly, but couldn't suppress a grin when he finally allowed Shin to check the wound. It was red, and it'd leave a scar if it wouldn't get magically healed. But most of all, it was large and undoubtedly painful.

"See? Nothing to do about." The glare he got in return, almost gave him goosebumps. Feeling a bit hurt, he asked; "Are you angry, that I didn't defend myself good enough? You're acting a bit… unfriendly." Again, his angel looked up at him, but this time there was clearly guilt in his eyes. "I'm worried, Yuda. I didn't mean to sound unfriendly. I'm just really worried," Shin explained, painfully calm. "It scares me when you try to act like you're not in any pain, because it makes me wonder what injuries you're hiding from me."

That last remark hurt, and Yuda unsurely took hold of Shin's hand. "I'm not hiding any injuries. And it won't make anyone feel better if I cry out every time I move and the injuries hurt."

"But you're pretending not to be hurt at all, and that won't make anyone feel better either," Shin responded, his soft voice tense. This conversation wasn't getting increasingly unfriendly, but he refused to allow his beloved one to go on acting like this. Honestly, what if he'd hide his pain but get overwhelmed by it during a fight? If his friends didn't know on what level his injuries were bothering him, there was no way of reacting quickly enough to save him. Feeling the frustration rise again, Shin realized those thoughts didn't even make a logical sense. Or did they? But…

A soft kiss on his lips startled him from his panicky thoughts. When he sat up straight again, Yuda gave him a worried glance. "Shin? We shouldn't be having these kinds of arguments right now. I'm sorry for pretending to be okay, but it…" A quiet sigh. "It helps to fool myself. It shouldn't, but it does." He didn't look away, not even while admitting that last part. Those beautiful turquoise eyes showed some embarrassment, though. And also something that almost felt like fear. Fear of what?

It didn't matter right now. "You can fool yourself all you want. Just please don't try to fool me." Tenderly, Shin caressed his angel's silky red hair. "It only makes me worry even more, not to know as much facts as possible." It made him feel like every tiny bit of information he didn't know, would turn out to be way more important than what he did know. And in a case like this, while having to save both Heaven and Earth from some evil being from Hell, it felt terrifying for him to feel like he knew too little.

To his surprise, Yuda suddenly wrapped his arms around him, pulling the smaller angel against himself. "If you must know, my back hurts from being to move stiffly because of my shoulder. That same shoulder sends out waves of pain , bad enough to make me feel sick, every time I move it. Like just now. And that burn… well, it burns like the fire is still touching it. And overall, I feel like crap for getting injured. Because I almost never get injured, and now I manage to do so during the worst possible assignment to get injured on." It had been spoken so quietly, only Shin had been able to hear it. For a moment, the blue-haired angel just hugged him tightly, then he suddenly sat up.

"Rei, can you freeze a piece of rock?" Shin asked, like it was the most foreseeable question possible. The purple-haired angel stared at him for a moment, then glanced at Yuda's burn and evidently understood what his friend was planning. Carefully, he used his powers to make a smooth layer of ice on one side of a small rock. "Thank you," Shin said, picking up the half frozen rock. "Yuda, sit still." The red haired angel wouldn't have dared to move, as he was way too scared to accidentally increase the pressure of the rock against the burn.

The cold, though, started to numb the pain almost instantly. He opened his mouth to thank his angel, but Shin just smiled. "See; I can help." Which was essentially the same as; I told you so. But Yuda knew his angel was right, and besides that, as long as the burn would stop hurting he couldn't care less what anyone said.

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**As always, I'll try to update as quickly as possible. It's actually on my list of New year's resolutions to find a better balance between school and writing, so I'm working on it ;) **

**Thanks for reading!**


	37. Into the last circle

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Hadn't expected this chapter so soon, right? XD**

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Just like Ruka and Yuda remembered, the demonic snakes tasted as horrible as you'd think they would. Actually, they probable tasted even worse. Forcing himself to swallow another bite Ruka looked at Rei. The purple-haired angel appeared to be having even more trouble with it. No wonder, considering the fact that he had a great sense of taste. It made him an amazing cook, but it also became a bit of a disadvantage when being forced to eat inedible creatures. Right now, Rei seemed to be trying his hardest not to spit out the piece of meat he had just bitten off.

"You two seriously ate this every day when you were in Hell?" Gai said, staring at the cooked demonic reptiles with a clear look of disgust.

"It's better than not eating anything, so you'd better just try not to taste it," Yuda replied. Rei looked up at that, and remarked; "Yeah, if you can manage to pretend it's even possible not to taste it."

Somehow, dinnertime went by and eventually they all sat in a half circle, using the cave-like walls as support. Shin still kept that piece of rock against Yuda's burn, though Rei had re-iced it once when the layer of ice had been melted too far to still be useful. And it still seemed to help, to judge by how relaxed Yuda was leaning against both the wall and Shin's side. The blue-haired angel had his free arm wrapped around Yuda's shoulders, careful enough not to aggravate the bruised shoulder.

While the others were chatting a bit, Shin just couldn't manage to chat along. Yuda didn't either, he quietly stared at the floor. "Yuda?" Shin asked, almost in a whisper. It wasn't like it'd be any better if all their friends would hear it, and would start sending them worried glances. Besides, whispering was enough to make Yuda look back at him. The blue-haired angel couldn't help but to stare for a moment. Yuda's face was still paler than usual, if anything it had only gotten more pale, and he looked exhausted. Quickly, Shin forced himself to think rationally. Of course Yuda was exhausted, after healing so many burns. It didn't necessarily mean that his injuries were that energy-absorbing.

"Shin? Is something wrong?" the taller angel asked, copying Shin's volume.

"No. I was just wondering if the ice is still doing its job," Shin replied, feeling a bit embarrassed by spacing out like that. "So… is it still numbing the pain?"

"It is. I barely feel it anymore."

"Good." A silence followed, neither of them having anything else to discuss. For some reason, Shin felt a bit listless. Like he should be doing something, but didn't. Maybe that was because they were so close to their destination already. Part of him really wanted to get through the next circle right now, and then instantly go on to whatever evil lurked after the ninth circle. The sooner it'd be over, the better. At the same time, though, he knew it wouldn't be that easy. Especially with Yuda injured, they might not even survive. Which left him between wanting to hurry, and wanting to be as slow as possible. Being used to always think logically, he almost never felt that way. And it didn't feel good at all.

"Shin?" Yuda's voice suddenly startled him from his thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"

"Eh… Nothing in particular," Shin lied, unable to look at his angel. He felt Yuda looking at him, though. "I was just thinking about how close we are to the deepest point of Hell already. And I don't know whether to see that as a good or as a bad thing."

"I guess it can count as both," Yuda responded, a bit unsure. "But maybe it'd be better not to worry about that right now. In case you haven't noticed, it's getting pretty late." At that, Shin looked around to see most of their friends already asleep, except for Rei who had the first turn to be guard. Indeed, it'd be better to get some sleep.

Still, it was easier said than done to make your own thoughts stop. But it might help to concentrate on something else for a while. So he silently started combing his fingers through Yuda's hair, earning a somewhat surprised look from his angel. "You're a good distraction," Shin simply explained, feeling his cheeks heating up slightly. Luckily, Yuda didn't comment on it. Instead, he rested his head on the smaller angel's shoulder and closed his eyes. Smiling softly without even realizing it, Shin watched his beloved one falling asleep.

Silently, Rei stared at the ground for a while, after all his friends had fallen asleep. Being the first one to be guard had the benefit that it meant he wouldn't have to wake up in the middle of the night, or get up earlier than everyone else. He didn't count it as a good thing, though, when he felt so tired that he barely managed to keep his eyes open. Especially after watching his friends falling asleep, he had to stop himself from relaxing too much. So far, nothing had happened yet during the night. Which was also the reason why no one bothered to mention, that their original plan had been to have two guards at a time, during these deepest circles. But he couldn't shake off the thought that if he would happen to fall asleep, something finally would attack them during the night.

Which was probably for the best, because that thought currently was the only thing keeping him awake. Yawning, he leaned back against the rocky wall a bit further. Only about half an hour left, then he'd have to wake up Shin. And after that, only a few hours left before they'd have to enter the last circle before the deepest point of Hell. Which demon was the main threat in the ninth circle? He remembered reading about it, but he didn't remember anything specific. After so many books, everything had just kind of blended together in his memory. Shin probably remembered, though. Maybe he'd ask him tomorrow before going into that circle, if no one else brought up the subject.

After half an hour of staring at either the floor, the walls or his friends, Rei carefully woke up Shin. "It's your turn to be guard," he explained softly, when his friend looked up at him sleepily. Shin just nodded, and then looked at Yuda. The red-haired angel still lay asleep against his side. As far as Rei could tell, he didn't seem bothered by his injuries. "If I have to re-ice that rock, just say so," he remarked.

"Thank you, but I think he'd better off without that right now," Shin replied. "It might wake him up if I push something against the burn while he sleeps."

"It'll be his turn to be guard after you, right?" Rei asked. When his friend nodded, he said; "Just wake me up if the burn needs to be cooled then. It only takes a second to freeze a rock."

Shin smiled gratefully. "I'm sure he'll appreciate that."

A silence followed, in which Shin watched Yuda sleeping, while Rei went back to his spot by Ruka's side. "Goodnight, Shin." He drifted off to sleep before his friend had the chance to reply.

All too soon, morning came. As soon as Yuda woke, all he wanted was to go back to sleep. His shoulder felt too sore to even move it, his back only felt a little less bad. The burn on his side was the only thing which seemed to have gotten a bit better, but that illusion vanished as soon as he moved. And of course, when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Shin's beautiful face. That was a good thing, but the worried look on his angel's face wasn't. And after their conversation from last night, Yuda couldn't exactly just tell him that he felt fine.

"Good morning," Shin said softly, while caressing some strands of hair away from Yuda's face. "How are you feeling?"

"Good morning to you too," the red-haired angel replied. "Everything still hurts, but it's manageable." Carefully, he moved a bit closer towards Shin, and then kissed him. "Don't worry too much about me, you'd better take care of yourself when we get into a fight."

The look in Shin's light golden eyes seemed a bit happier now, than it had before that kiss. Still, his voice didn't sound any less concerned when he responded. "The demon who guards the next part, is Judecca. And it's the place where traitors to benefactors go." A short silence. "I'm not completely sure what falls under that category. But since you and Ruka rebelled against Zeus, it might mean that you'll get attacked with some unpleasant memories again." Another short silence, and Yuda could tell from the look on Shin's face that he was over-thinking things again.

When his angel didn't say anything else, Yuda couldn't help but to ask what he had been thinking about. It earned him a slightly uncertain look, but Shin did reply. "Well, all six of us rebelled against Zeus together at one point. I wonder how much of an effect such memories would have on us. If the demon can indeed cause us to relive those memories, all six of us might be in trouble."

"Then, all six of us will have to manage not to give in to the memories." That sounded way easier than it was, but at least that reply seemed to comfort Shin a bit. At least, the blue-haired angel smiled at him for a moment, before Rei announced that 'something that wasn't worth to be called breakfast' was ready. Honestly, Yuda would rather skip breakfast, than to eat those demonic snakes again. But then again, battling one of the most powerful demons on an empty stomach sounded even less appealing.

After a less-than-pleasant breakfast, he decided that maybe that second option would've been better after all. It was probably just due to the stress that his injuries caused his body, but those demonic snakes actually made him feel slightly sick. One glance at Shin made him decide to not let that show, though. The blue-haired angel looked nervous enough already. Actually, no one looked particularly calm. And the more he concentrated on the feeling of nervousness, even fear that hung in the air, the more stressed he too started to feel.

The only positive thing he could think of, was that at least he probably wouldn't have to be the leader all alone. Not with these injuries. Either Goh or Ruka would definitely take the lead, if Yuda would get too much of a disadvantage from his injuries.

In silence, the six angels stood up and started walking towards the end of the passage. As Yuda had hoped for, he wasn't the only one walking up front. Goh walked right beside him, sending him a reassuring glance. Grateful, Yuda smiled at him. Then, they reached the end of the passage, and they saw what this circle looked like. Or… not looked like. It was black. Just black. Shadowy darkness all around them, and even when he lit up an energy orb, the glow didn't show anything else than their own bodies. Even the floor just kept black.

"How are we supposed to know where we're going?" Rei asked, his voice even more quiet than usual. No one had an immediate answer, but they all followed when Yuda carefully walked on. At least the ground was flat and steady so far, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be traps here. Or that they wouldn't suddenly run into the demon. "Shin." Rei's voice again. "Do you remember which demon lives here?" Oh, right. Shin had only talked about that with Yuda. While Shin told the others about what the books had said, Yuda tried his best not to listen or think about it. Physical attacks were bad enough, but the emotional attacks had proven to be a lot worse so far. He'd only make himself more vulnerable if he'd be stressed out even before they'd encounter Judecca.

"Too bad we don't have sticks or anything," Gai suddenly remarked. "Then at least we could poke around to feel if there are any holes in the ground, or unexpected walls ahead."

"Yeah," Goh agreed. "But can't you try something with your power over rocks? If you just make them shake a little, the sound might tell us if there are walls." "Just be careful not to be too rough," Shin added. "We don't know how strong the walls and roof are." Yuda hoped Gai had actually listened to that warning, because already the floor started to tremble. There was a sound of small rocks falling from walls on either side of them, but the way ahead kept even more quiet than the way behind them. At least he didn't hear any rocks falling further than the floor, which hopefully meant that there weren't any holes.

"Sounds like it's just a long cave," Ruka said. "But it's strange that we couldn't even see it in the light of that energy orb."

"I think the shadows somehow swallowed it," Shin responded, nervousness audible in his voice. "I'd just wish that there would've been more information about this circle in the books. It didn't say anything about the shape in which lesser demons are present here. So they might be the shadows."

"Or maybe the shadows are doomed souls," Goh said. "If they were demons, they'd probably have attacked us already. No reason to wait for so long."

No one disagreed, though Yuda wasn't sure if they were all just a bit too eager to believe that the shadows couldn't attack them in any way. Well, as long as the shadows kept acting like shadows, he wasn't planning on considering the other possibilities. At the moment, their biggest problem was the demon who ruled this circle. If the walls were on either side of them, the demon could only be in front of them. But how far away? Or how close by? The tension in the air was getting worse, the more the six angels wondered about that.

And then, so unforeseen it was almost funny, the shadows lifted. For a moment, the glow from lava blinded them, then the centre of the ninth circle became visible. And Yuda felt how fear took over them all, as they finally saw the demon.

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**So… I hope this builds up the tension a bit. I felt the story was getting a bit boring, being mostly about them eating or being guard at night ;^-^  
Please review if you liked it/didn't like it/got any other comments ;)**

**I'll update as soon as I can ^-^**


	38. Almost there

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Another late update… This school period, I have to go on an internship for 7 weeks, 4 days per week. And because I asked to be an intern at a goat farm, I work there until 7 pm. Which usually means that I won't leave until 7:30, and be home at 8 in the evening. And I usually write in the evening… But 2 weeks have already passed, so in 5 weeks I'll have time to write more often. I hope…**

**Anyhow, here's a new chapter ^-^**

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It was like the shadows had all morphed into one being, creating a strange form in the center of the path. Disturbingly enough, though, it actually seemed solid. No longer a shadow without a shape, but more like a shadow that had become a shape itself. And it was large enough to block the entire path. For a moment, the angels just stared at it, waiting for the demon to make the first move. Rei felt the tension in the air getting worse with every second that passed without anything happening. It wasn't until he averted his eyes from the demon for a moment, before looking at it again, that he realized something was in fact happening.

"It's spreading itself," the purple-haired angel mumbled, more to himself than to anyone else. Of course, Ruka did hear him and sent him a questioning glance. "Look," Rei just said, not trusting his own voice not to sound too terrified.

"We've got to break through it," Shin said. "It's a shadow, right? Then we should be able to run through it." It would've made Rei feel a lot better if his friend's voice wouldn't have trembled slightly at that last line.

"It might work if we scare away the shadows," Ruka responded. "Light, like our energy orbs, should be able to force it away momentarily."

Yuda only nodded, and at that everyone ran forward, shooting energy beams and then keeping energy orbs close by as they reached the demon. Judecca produced some unearthly sound, a shriek that couldn't even be called a noise, as the six angels entered the shadowy form. Rei felt his throat tightening, like they were running to smoke instead of shadows. It didn't smell like it, it didn't smell like anything, but the air seemed too thick to be merely under a shadow.

Suddenly, images seemed to flash by. Zeus' castle, the fight. Letting out a gasp, Rei stopped running. What was this? The demon, he realized. The smoky shadows were formed by their own bad memories. Behind him, someone carefully pushed him forward. "Keep running!" he heard Ruka yell. Not bothering to reply, the purple-haired angel did just that. The memories didn't allow themselves to be that easily ignored, though. The further the angels ran, the more clear they appeared to be. Solid, almost.

Part of him wanted to touch the ghostly figures and shapes, but somehow Rei knew he shouldn't. There was something undoubtedly disturbing about physically touching your own memories. Besides that, they had no idea how far Judecca's powers went. So far, they ran though their memories. If they wouldn't be careful, could they end up trapped inside those memories? The thought alone sent a shiver down Rei's spine, and he sped up a bit more. Whether it was possibly or not, he had absolutely no intention of trying it. His friends evidently had the same opinion, as they all ran as fast as they could.

Wait… For a moment, Rei froze when he realized that. He could actually see his friends. Through the shadows, that shouldn't even be possible. It couldn't be possible. Then why could he see them? Looking around, he realized not a single piece of shadow was left. All that was around them, was that horrible fight between the six of them and Zeus. Even the air was filled with smoke and the dust from collapsed buildings and rocks. Moreover, when Rei ran though a pile of stone, he actually almost tripped over one of them.

"Be careful, it's not only showing us memories anymore!" Yuda warned, a bit too late. The landscape of the worst memory they all shared, had somehow taken a solid shape. Which meant, Rei realized, that it could very well physically harm them. It only became clear how right he was, when sudden explosions made the piles of stone launch themselves into the air. Just like they had, when their and Zeus' attacks had hit them. Barely avoiding a rather large rock, Rei dared to look behind.

Nothing but darkness, but one so deep it felt like it would suffocate him if he wouldn't manage to keep ahead of it. Suddenly feeling his feet getting caught by a rock, that option felt very close by. Before he'd even had the chance to scream, though, Ruka caught his hand and dragged him back onto his feet, barely slowing down. Instinctively, Rei kept holding his angel's hand. It made him feel slightly safer, and at least safe enough to be able to concentrate on where to put his feet.

"There's a wall!" Someone ahead of them yelled. Indeed, above the exploding piles of stone, a gigantic wall rose up from the ground. But Rei didn't remember any wall of that sort. "It's not a memory, it's the end of the circle!" Someone else yelled, it sounded like Shin. Apparently, the blue-haired angel also said the spell, because slowly a door began to open.

As if Judecca felt its preys escaping, the explosions multiplied, and the stones were now actually aimed for them. Barely avoiding a piece of stone, Rei had to let go of Ruka's hand. Goh and Ruka reached the exit before the others, and used their energy beams to protect their friends from the stones. Looking behind, this time without tripping, Rei saw he wasn't the last in line. Somehow, Yuda had gotten behind the rest, and to judge by the look of pain on his face, his shoulder had something to do with that. Shin obviously noticed that too, as he quickly slowed down to wait for the red-haired angel.

More stones came flying towards them, and the exit was already closing. "Hurry!" Gai screamed at the last three that were still running. The next explosion was barely a few feet away from them, and Rei heard Shin's gasp of pain. Quickly glancing behind, he saw his friend falling but Yuda picked him off the ground almost without losing any speed. A short moment, Rei trembled at the thought what that must do to the red-haired angel's shoulder, but there wasn't any time to offer help. Only moments before the door closed, the three angels ran through.

On the other side, a small stream of lava lighted up the passage, and trying to slow down he turned around to see Yuda. Before he got a clear vision, though, he managed to trip over his own feet and landed roughly in Ruka's arms. "Rei? Did you get hurt?" The purple-haired angel could only shake his head, as he finally saw what had made Shin fall.

Shin barely paid any attention to his leg, though, as Yuda carefully put him on the ground. Even though the red-haired angel was trying to hide it, Shin hadn't failed to see the tears of pain in his eyes. The fact that his face had literally lost all color wasn't easy to miss either. "Yuda…"

"Sit still," his angel hissed almost inaudibly. The feeling of guilt hurting almost more than the piece of rock piercing his leg, Shin did as he was told. Quickly but carefully, Yuda pulled out the rock and healed the injury. Then, finally, he looked up at Shin, and the blue-haired angel almost felt his heart stop for a moment when he saw the pain in his beloved one's eyes. "Shin? Was that the only injury?"

"Y-yes… I'm sorry!" Not daring to take the chance of hugging his angel and accidentally aggravating the injured shoulder, he only grabbed Yuda's hand. It was trembling so badly, Shin couldn't help but to wonder for a moment on how he'd even been able to get that piece of rock out. But he didn't even care about that right now, all he cared about was his own stupidity of getting injured. "I'm so sorry you had to carry me," he choked out, fighting back tears. "I should've been more careful."

"It wasn't you fault," Yuda replied softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "And… I couldn't exactly drag you along, right?"

"Next time do drag me along! That couldn't possibly hurt me more than it hurts you to carry me with that shoulder!" He hadn't meant to yell like that, but he saw Yuda flinching slightly. "Yuda…" Unable to find words that came even close to what he meant to say, Shin took the risk and wrapped his arms around the taller angel. Either he'd been careful enough, or Yuda's shoulder already hurt too badly to possibly hurt more, because the red-haired angel barely responded to it. "I'm sorry!" Shin sobbed, burying his face against Yuda's uninjured shoulder.

"Shin, it wasn't your fault. It was my own choice to carry you, nothing forced me to." Gently, Yuda embraced the smaller angel. "Please, stop blaming yourself. I really don't have the energy for such a discussion right now." Worriedly, Shin lifted his head to look at his beloved one again. Yuda didn't look back at him, his eyes somewhat vacant. His face didn't even seem to have regained any color, besides slightly darkened circles underneath his eyes. Indeed, he looked exhausted, and Shin knew it wouldn't make his beloved one feel any better if he'd keep feeling guilty.

"Yuda…" Tenderly, Shin laid his hand on Yuda's cheek and forced him to return his gaze. A bit unsurely Yuda looked at him, but closed his eyes when Shin kissed him. He tasted a bit sweaty, and Shin could tell his angel still had a fever, but the kiss itself was perfect as usual. Soft and full of love. "Mmh…" Sighing, he pulled away after a few moments. "I love you."

"I love you too," Yuda mumbled, opening his eyes. They were a lot clearer now, almost like usual. It wasn't until Yuda smiled amusedly at him, that Shin realized how long he'd been staring at his angel. Feeling his cheeks heating up a bit, the blue-haired angel smiled back at him.

"Eh… Dinner is ready," Rei suddenly announced, shyly interrupting the two. "Well… 'dinner' it can't be called."

"It's better than nothing," Goh commented.

"Actually, air tastes better," Gai responded to that.

Shin couldn't help but to notice that Yuda barely ate anything. At least he did eat a little bit, though it wasn't nearly enough to prevent Shin from worrying about it. "Yuda? Shouldn't you eat a bit more?" he asked softly, hoping not to draw too much attention.

"Sorry, I don't think I'd be able to keep it in," the red haired angel mumbled, refusing to look back at him. He almost seemed to feel embarrassed by it, to Shin's annoyance. Geez, why couldn't he just stop feeling like he should always be strong and perfect? Or was it that the rest of them always expected him to? But right now, no one would think any less of him because of any acts of vulnerability. Taking a sigh, Shin decided to just ignore those thoughts right now. This obviously wasn't the time for arguing, especially not about personal matters.

The night seemed to pass by slower than ever, and not just because it was the last one before they'd have to face the deepest point of Hell.

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**I'll update as soon as possible ^-^**


	39. A long night

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Finally! An update! Sorry for the long (very long…) wait. School is still busy, but the school year will only be another 8 weeks… This month, however, I have to finish two large projects T-T So don't expect to see another new chapter sooner than a few weeks from now.**

**Anyway, this chapter is the last one (promise) before they'll finally meet their enemy. No idea what they're gonna meet yet. Or rather, many ideas, but I haven't decided yet which one is the best. Or the least awful. Or the most awful, depending on how to view that… Argh, I'll just stop nagging and get on with the chapter ;)**

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"Yuda?'' Softly, Shin called his angel's name. The red-haired angel didn't respond at first, but when Shin called him again he blinked slowly. "It's your turn to be guard," the smaller angel announced, an unmistakably guilty tone in his voice. "How are you feeling?"

"Trust me, the answer wouldn't make you feel any better," Yuda responded dryly. The fact that he felt good enough to joke about it, did make the heavy feeling in Shin's stomach lift a bit. Last night, his angel had barely said a word, even when Shin tried to start a conversation. Now, he responded almost as usual. Still, he knew he was just a little too eager to see improvement. Quietly looking at his beloved one, Shin had to admit Yuda still looked pale and just plain sick. And he obviously was trying hard to hide it.

"Shall I stay awake with you?" the blue-haired angel offered softly.

"I don't think that'd be a good idea. We'll have to defeat something that's strong enough to destroy both Heaven and Earth tomorrow, you'd better get as much sleep as possible." He was right about it, Shin couldn't argue about that. But truth was, he felt pretty sure that he wouldn't manage to fall asleep anyway. Not this night. Not while he was so worried about his beloved one. It would only serve to make Yuda feel guilty, though, to say that out loud. So instead, Shin carefully leaned against the taller angel's side and closed his eyes. At least this way he could pretend to be resting, while being as close as possible to Yuda.

"Won't your back be hurting tomorrow, if you sleep like that?" Yuda asked softly, wrapping an arm around Shin's shoulders.

"It won't." It probably would, a bit, but that'd be gone within minutes when they'd start walking to the deepest point of Hell. Damn, not a good idea to remind himself of that. Taking a shaky sigh, he wrapped his arms around his angel's waist. Just in time, he remembered the burnt spot on Yuda's side and made sure not to touch that. "You still have a fever," he couldn't help but to notice. Yuda just sighed and pulled him closer, then rested his head on top of Shin's. "Yuda…" Shin heard his own voice trembling. "I don't think I've ever dreaded the morning this much in my entire life."

"Me neither," his angel whispered back. "But try not to think about it until it actually is morning. It's no use losing any sleep over fearing what we'll have to face anyway."

"Easier said than done." Even though Shin hated it to sound so negative, he simply couldn't bring himself to act like he felt anything close to calm or reassured. Yuda didn't say anything in response, only kissed Shin softly on his forehead. Honestly, that made the blue-haired angel feel better than any words could've done. Okay, he didn't magically feel completely calm now. But at least the heavy feeling in his stomach, and the way his throat seemed to tighten every time he thought about it, faded enough to allow him to at least feel a bit more comfortable.

The fact, though, that he felt from Yuda's kiss that the fever was almost high enough to be serious cause for concern, made his throat tighten almost painfully. No, he refused to let that show. Instead, he forced himself to close his eyes and try not to think of anything. It didn't exactly work, as his mind kept focusing on everything there was to worry about, but maybe it'd be enough to be able to feign sleeping. After some long, very long minutes, he felt Yuda starting to tenderly caress his back. So his beloved one knew he wasn't asleep. Well, that wasn't much of a surprise.

Still, the gentle touch gave him something to focus on, other than the whole situation they were currently in, and finally he felt himself drifting off to sleep.

As soon as Yuda had fallen asleep, after waking Rei to take over guarding the others, the purple haired angel felt his thoughts taking a direction he didn't really want them to take. More specifically, with all his friends asleep, there was nothing to force him not to imagine what could be lurking in the deepest part of Hell. Doomed souls? Demons? Some unthinkable combination that would tear them all apart as soon as it'd get the chance? Okay, let's just not even think about that last option. Couldn't they just sent a letter instead of fighting it? That thought made him laugh quietly, imagining what the demon or whatever it was would think if it'd receive an angry letter instead of a face to face confrontation.

Using that small moment of more positive thoughts to find something to occupy his mind with, he carefully started braiding some of the shorter strands of Ruka's hair. The silver haired angel sighed softly and wrapped an arm around Rei's slender waist, but didn't seem disturbed by the smaller angel touching his hair. Which was good, because braiding his angel's hair actually managed to calm Rei quite a bit. By the time it was Gai's turn to be guard, the purple haired angel didn't have any trouble anymore to just don't think of anything and fall asleep.

Bad dreams, however, weren't as easily avoided as scary thoughts. Tunnels turning into caves, lava dripping on the floor. And he kept running, even though he didn't know from what exactly. All that he knew was that if he'd look back, if he'd give himself the chance to see whatever was haunting him, it'd be the end of him. He'd get killed instantly. But where were his friends? Where was Ruka? All he felt was more fear when he thought about that. No, he couldn't be alone! He couldn't win this fight alone, he couldn't even face the creature alone!

Then, like expected from a nightmare, he tripped over thin air and fell. Lying on the floor on his stomach, his body refusing to cooperate, he could only see a shadow falling over him. It was huge, but more than that he couldn't tell. For some reason, he couldn't see the edges, couldn't make out any sort of shape. But it scared him, even more so because he couldn't get a clear view of it. And he still was all alone. Suddenly feeling an icy cold but at the same time scalding hot breath against the back of his neck, he screamed.

"Rei!" Gasping for air, the purple-haired angel opened his eyes. "Rei, you're safe! Calm down!" Ruka tried to keep his voice down, but his worry for Rei made that quite difficult. Within mere moments, though, his angel got out of the nightmare and seemed to calm down a bit. "Rei?"

"I-I'm fine." The way his voice shook made that hard to believe. "Just a nightmare. I'm fine."

He didn't bother asking what it had been about. It wasn't that difficult to guess. "Can I do anything to help you?"

Rei shook his head. "Thanks for waking me, though."

"As long as I have to sit guard, shall I wake you up as soon as you seem to have another one?"

"I'd appreciate that." Almost embarrassedly, the smaller angel looked away from Ruka. "Geez, I hope I'm more useful against the actual enemy, than against my own nightmares."

"You can only fight on your own against nightmares. Tomorrow, against the actual enemy, we'll all fight together." Rei only sighed in response, and sat up to wrap his arms around Ruka's shoulders. Gently, the silver-haired angel embraced him. "Are you sure you're okay?" He felt that the smaller angel gave a nod. "Are you going to sleep like this?" He couldn't help but to sound amused, which earned him a soft tug at his hair. Deciding it would be better to just leave him be, Ruka didn't make another comment. Instead, he just softly caressed Rei's back, until the smaller angel fell asleep again.

That morning, Yuda couldn't help but to notice that Shin avoided looking at him. Actually, no one seemed too eager to look each other in the face, knowing they'd see the exact same fear as they felt themselves. And seeing their own fears reflected, only made it worse. Still, Yuda realized that it'd be bad if their communication wouldn't be at best. "Since we have no idea what we're going to encounter, does anyone have any suggestions on a strategy?" he asked, knowing that the question contradicted itself, but trying to at least start some conversation.

Goh, apparently, understood the purpose of the question. "We should at least fight together, whatever the enemy is. If we all fight on our own, we'll never win."

"So we should try to combine our attacks?" Rei asked.

"That would make the blows more powerful," Shin agreed. "Although it might also help, depending on how the enemy defends itself, to attack it from different angles. But to really know how to fight it, we have to know the enemy first."

"Which we can't, because as soon as we meet it, we'll have to fight. I don't think it'll give us a few minutes to discuss, before trying to kill us," Gai remarked.

"We can at least try to have some strategy. And combining our attacks can work anyway, we just have to fit it into the situation," Ruka responded. "And it's better than not having any strategy at all, right?"

No one could disagree on that, but the subject seemed to die out as soon as everyone started eating breakfast. Still feeling slightly sick, Yuda only forced himself to eat just enough to hopefully make it through the deepest point of Hell. And even for that, his body seemed to hate him. At least Shin finally looked at him. "You should eat more," the blue-haired angel said softly, even though in this silence, their friends would hear it anyway.

"I don't think that'd be a good idea," Yuda replied, equally quiet, hoping that his angel wouldn't go on about the subject.

Shin just gave him a look that made clear that he didn't agree with it, but didn't say anything else. Unluckily enough, Ruka didn't let the subject drop that easily. "We need to be at our strongest, wouldn't it be bad if you don't eat enough?"

"It'll be worse if I throw up in front of the enemy," Yuda couldn't help but to say.

"Unless you throw up over it," Gai remarked, grinning. "That'll at least distract it." Despite the glare Shin shot him, Gai looked pretty happy about his own joke when Yuda grinned back at him. At least the tension in the air faded a little bit due to Gai acting like he usually did. By the time everyone was done eating, though, the tension was back tenfold. Forcing himself not to show any fear, Yuda started walking to the end of the passage, the others following close behind him.

As if they weren't anxious enough already, the passage ended in a hole in the ground. Whatever was at the bottom, was completely invisible due to a thick smoke. After a moment in which they all just stood there, Rei carefully kicked a piece of rock down. After only mere seconds, they could hear the dull sound of it hitting bottom. "It seems safe to jump," the purple-haired angel concluded. "Although, 'safe' might not be the right word."

"The fall won't kill us," Goh agreed. "So… shall we just jump?" After another short moment, everyone trying to gather some courage, they jumped. Yuda had known beforehand, that his shoulder as well as the burn on his side wouldn't agree with the landing. Still he couldn't stop himself from letting out a quiet gasp of pain when he hit the floor. Luckily, no one seemed to have noticed.

"It's dark here," Rei whispered, even though they could all see that. "Should Ruka and me bring out our wings?"

"We're not trying to not be noticed, so some light would be nice," Yuda replied, after a short silence. Almost instantly, a gold and a silver glow appeared as Rei and Ruka brought out their wings. It didn't help much, but at least they could see each other in the faint light. Yuda could see the fear in his friends' eyes, though Goh and Ruka did a better job at hiding it than Rei, Shin and Gai. Yuda didn't know how he looked himself, but considering how he felt, it might be better not to know.

Quietly looking around, no one daring to take a step, they waited to see if the demon or whatever it was would reveal itself. It felt like hours of staring in the darkness, while it probably wasn't more than mere minutes before their eyes had fully adjusted to the lack of light. Then, Shin was the first to see it. "There's a gate over there." The blue-haired angel's voice trembled almost unnoticeably, but of course Yuda heard it anyway. No one made the first move, so Yuda reluctantly started walking. In silence, the others followed.

A thick smoke formed a curtain that hid anything behind the door from view. Deciding it'd be better not to stop and think about what could be behind it, the six angels stepped through.

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**I'm kinda starting to like it a bit too much to torture Yuda… I almost feel guilty XD**

**I'll update as soon as possible! ^-^**


	40. Pure evil

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Finally, they meet their enemy… I hate to write fighting scenes, especially when it's the most important fight of the story .**

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Pure darkness was all there was to see. Looking back, Rei didn't even see the smoky doorway anymore. Worse, he couldn't even see his friends anymore, despite the fact that he and Ruka still had their wings out. His blood nearly froze when he realized he couldn't even see his own body anymore. Like they were already dead, and their souls… He felt himself panicking, and forced his own thoughts to a stop. I was just the aura of whatever was here, nothing else.

How close was it? Was it watching them? "R-Ruka?" Rei couldn't force the fear out of his own voice, and nearly jumped when someone grabbed his shoulder.

"Rei, calm down," Ruka whispered in his ear. "We're all here."

"Can anyone see anything?" Yuda asked. No one replied positively. "Then… let's all stay on this side of the room. That way we won't accidentally hit each other."

A long, tense silence followed. "Is it just me, or is getting colder?" Gai suddenly asked. The temperature really was lowering, Rei realized. And after Gai's remark, the process suddenly seemed to speed up. His body felt like it froze along with the air around them, and he automatically reached up and grabbed Ruka's hand. He knew he'd have to let go soon, but for a moment it comforted him. Then, almost literally, all Hell broke loose.

It was as if all the most evil convicted souls had gathered into one being, thousands of horribly deformed faces breaking through the darkness to glare at them. Rei felt his fingernails digging into Ruka's hand, but couldn't force himself to let go just yet. If he'd lose contact with him now, he'd scream. A moment later, he screamed anyway. As the demonic being attacked, the faces turned into something so ugly, so wrong, it'd almost hurt to watch it.

Its attack, though, hurt more. It shot out with strange, impalpable claws, forcing horrible memories into their minds as they were hit by it. Memories of all those convicted souls, not just about their time in Hell, but about what they did to actually get there. Pictures of murders and worse went through his mind, followed by the feelings of the murderer. A sharp pain in his hand gave him enough distraction for a moment to jump back from the claw, and realized it had been trying to drag him towards the being.

That was mere luck though, and not at all the reason why Ruka was holding Rei's hand so tightly that it hurt. His powers of empathy made the memories of the convicted souls even more vivid, but also somehow made him feel the victim's pain at the same time. The sensation of both committing murder and being murdered at the same time, was worse than he'd ever expected anything could be. And murder was only one of the many crimes, sins, that the souls made them see.

It wasn't until he heard Rei's muffled cry of pain, that his minds was dragged back to reality enough to realize he was holding the smaller angel's hand almost tightly enough to break it. He also realized, when he dared to look ahead, that the distraction might have saved them. The horrifying being was closer than it had been before, and Ruka knew the others saw it too. Apparently no one felt capable of saying anything, but instead someone made the first attack and the others followed.

Angered by the attacks, the being lashed out again, this time throwing the six angels back against the wall. Unable to see anything, Ruka lost grip on Rei's hand when it happened, but felt that the smaller angel ended up somewhere behind him. At least a bit more safe. Quickly trying to stand up, he bumped against someone else. Automatically, he used his power of empathy to sense who it was. Yuda. Forcing himself not to sense anything else, already having felt enough to know his friend was in way to much pain to fight properly, he started to attack the being again. In response, the claws shot towards them even more violently than before. This time, though, the being didn't drag them in slowly.

As he felt himself being dragged forward, he automatically aimed at the claws. The being only inches away from him, he broke free and jumped back. A heard Yuda scream, though, and instantly started to attack again when he realized his friend wasn't free yet. Too late. "Yuda!"

"Did he get dragged in?" Goh's voice.

"How are we supposed to kill this thing?" Ruka wasn't sure who's voice that had been, but it sounded exactly as terrified as he felt.

"We've got to separate the souls, but it won't give us the time to use any spells!" Shin's voice.

But it didn't attack now. The feeling of fear he had turned into something worse as Ruka's mind automatically formed a plan. "It can't attack when it has just dragged someone in. If I go in too, you might have the time to defeat it." He heard the others disagree, saying that it was too dangerous, but somehow knew it was the only way. "Now!" he yelled, before throwing himself at the demonic being.

From the moment he went in, he knew this had to be the true definition of Hell. Thousands of horrifying memories, so real it seemed like they were happening right now. And all the same time. He had been planning on fighting it, on distracting the being for as long as possible. In truth, all he could do was scream.

Rei didn't know what exactly Shin had meant by 'spells', but knowing his friend had probably read something about it, he tried his best to keep attacking the being until Shin had remembered the right spells. It felt like a century, but finally he heard his friend yell something that he couldn't understand and the being broke apart into a thousand souls, screaming in mad agony. "Keep… attacking them!" Shin yelled, slightly out of breath. Without even thinking about it, the other three did so. After only mere minutes, the souls fled and the darkness lifted to reveal a lava-lit cave.

"Ruka! Yuda!" Rei didn't know if it was him or Shin who had yelled that first, but the next thing he knew was that they were both sitting at their angels' side. Ruka didn't seem injured, apart from some shallow cuts and bruises, though his face was more pale than Rei had ever seen it. Remembering how the silver-haired angel had collapsed at the start of this quest, when hundreds of doomed souls had swarmed through him and overloaded Ruka's power of empathy, Rei knew his angel wasn't in any physical danger. Still, there was no way of knowing how long it would take Ruka's mind to recover.

Not wanting to see it, but knowing that he couldn't fight off reality anyway, he looked at Yuda. The red-haired angel was alive, if barely. The burn on his side was bleeding again, and as far as Rei could tell despite his clothes, his injured shoulder wasn't any better either. The bruises were now all over his chest, nearly reaching his throat. His hand trembling, Shin caressed some hair away from Yuda's forehead, revealing another bruise. Unlike Ruka, he didn't have many cuts. But a deep gash went through his left upper leg, bleeding badly.

"Damn…" Rei heard Goh curse.

"H-he he'll be okay, right?" Gai asked no one in particularly, his voice trembling.

Shin just stared at Yuda, his eyes filled with tears. When he finally replied, the desperation in his voice also drove tears into Rei's eyes. "I think it somehow broke his ribs. If it swells too much, he might get trouble bleeding. But if… if we can't stop the bleeding in his leg, we'll never even get him out of Hell before it's too late. The gash went through an artery."

A silence fell. "If you turn back time just a little bit, so you won't pass out, and we somehow treat his wounds, will he survive long enough to get him out of here?" Goh finally broke the silence.

"We don't have any bandages or anything," Shin responded, tears now running down his cheeks.

"But I can try to burn the wounds shut, and Rei can freeze pieces of cloth to stop his ribs from swelling too much. And we can also use pieces of our clothes as bandages," Goh explained. "Just be careful that you won't go too far. You won't be able to fully heal him anyway, and we'd never get out alive with three people unconscious."

Shin nodded, and took a shaky breath. Then, he carefully used his powers to undo just enough time to give his angel enough strength to survive having the gash in his leg burned shut, as well as the already burned spot on his side. "Shin, are you okay?" Rei asked, in an effort to distract his friend a bit while Goh treated Yuda's wounds. Shin only nodded, refusing to look back at him. When Rei hugged him, though, Shin fell against him and held onto him so tightly it almost took his breath away. "He'll be alright," Rei whispered, not making any effort to make Shin weaken his grip. "You know he'd never leave you."

"I should've done those spells sooner," Shin mumbled, his voice full of guilt. "I shouldn't have been too scared to think properly."

"He still wouldn't be much better off. At least now that he's unconscious, he won't feel any pain. Don't worry about what you could've done, just make sure you're there when he wakes up."

Shin only nodded, finally relaxing a bit. Now that his friend wasn't so tense anymore, Rei noticed how much of an effort it seemed to be for the blue-haired angel not to slump against him completely. "Can you walk?" he whispered. Hopefully soft enough that only Shin would hear.

"I think so. But I won't be able to carry him," Shin replied, even softer. "I tried not to go too far, but if I hadn't gone as far as this it wouldn't have been any use at all."

When Goh was done, wrapping up Yuda's injuries, Rei carefully cooled the front of Yuda's shirt. If the red-haired angel would wake up, the coldness might also numb the pain from his ribs. But Rei didn't think he'd wake up anytime soon. After all, he hadn't even stirred when Goh had burned shut the gash.

It was quickly decided that Rei would carry Ruka, and Goh would carry Yuda. Shin obviously felt guilty about that, but fact was that he could barely keep on his feet himself. Gai tactfully kept walking next to him, to be ready to offer support if needed. It wasn't long, though, until they arrived at the first problem. They had ended up here by jumping into a hole. Now, they'd have to get back out. "The sides are too smooth to climb, but I can fly us out," Rei suggested. The others only nodded and looked at him apologetic. By the time he had carried all of them up, those looks had turned into worry. Deciding to ignore that for now, Rei carefully managed to get Ruka back onto his back.

"Let's try to at least get back to the passage between the eighth and ninth circle," Rei said. "They're probably too busy getting those souls back in order, to fight us now."

"We'll go as far as we can," Goh agreed. "But no one should push themselves unnecessarily." That last line was mainly directed at both Rei and Shin. The two send each other a short glance, knowing Goh was right to warn them. Still, neither of them felt the need to respond out loud, and the angels walked on in silence.

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**I'll update as soon as I can ^-^**


	41. Back from the darkness

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Another late update… But last week was my first week of summer holiday. More time for writing :D**

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Even the most powerful demons didn't do anything to stop them as they walked through the ninth circle. Trapped souls were swarming everywhere, though, being chased by both strong and minor demons. None of them even seemed to notice the six angels, all too preoccupied by either running away or chasing. It was for sure that they'd have things back in order within mere days, and the demons would surely go after the angels then. But at least for now, they were far too busy to be plotting any revenge. Rei didn't mind that at all, being attacked now would be bad to say the least. Besides, he wasn't too sure how quickly he'd be able to react to any attack, while carrying Ruka like this.

The silver haired angel was still unconscious, and even though he was slender, he still wasn't exactly easy to carry. At first, Rei hadn't had any problems, due to the adrenaline still rushing through his body. But as time passed, the adrenaline had faded, and had been replaced by tiredness. Every step felt like climbing a mountain now, and his back hurt. No use in complaining, though. So he just kept going on, knowing that they couldn't safely take a break anyway, until they'd get to the passage between the ninth and the eighth circle.

Vaguely, Ruka felt the worst headache ever. He didn't remember anything, his mind felt like it had shut off completely, but he just knew this was the worst headache ever. Had it been any worse, he was sure that his head would've exploded and he'd be dead. All he wanted was to fade back into painless nothingness, but something withheld him from doing that. Trying to push past the headache, he almost did fully lose consciousness again. But then, he finally remembered something. Purple hair, beautiful dark golden eyes. The sweetest smile in all of Heaven. Rei.

It hurt too badly to think, to remember, and he didn't particularly care where they were or what had happened anyway. He just needed to know if Rei was all right. He didn't feel anything besides the headache, was the smaller angel even anywhere close? With all his strength, he forced himself to open his eyes a bit. Darkness. Slowly, he managed to blink. Was someone calling him? Why couldn't he see them? Taking a shaky breath, he blinked again. Now, finally, his vision cleared a bit. Someone was in front of him. No, leaning over him. Those eyes were the first thing he recognized, although he instantly felt guilty when he saw tears shimmering inside them. He didn't want to see his angel cry, his smile was much more beautiful.

The headache peaked for a moment and he winced. Memories came rushing back to him, everything that happened, where they were. Why his head felt like it could explode at any moment. On the bright side, it woke him up enough to allow him to notice that Rei was sitting down against a rocky wall, Ruka laying in his arms. The feeling of safety which that brought, almost made his body give in to his exhaustion and pain. But he had to stay awake, only a little bit longer.

"Ruka?" He could barely hear his angel, like his voice was coming from the other end of a tunnel. Yet he nodded faintly. "Ruka, that… that thing is defeated. Your idea worked. We're on our way back up now… Just… Just hold on! I'll take care of you."

He managed to smile softly at that. Yet, something still pressed on his mind. "H-how's Yuda?" It came out as a whisper, but he knew Rei would understand him anyway. Rei looked next to them, and Ruka followed his gaze. He couldn't see clear, but with some effort he managed to recognize Yuda and Shin. The blue-haired angel sat against the wall, apparently asleep, and Yuda was slumped against him. He looked so pale, it only made Ruka worry more to see him.

"He's… injured pretty badly," Rei explained softly. "Shin reversed time a bit, just enough so he won't… But he won't be in any shape to walk for a while. Both you and him have been unconscious ever since the demon-thing let you go. But he hasn't woken up yet."

A pang of guilt shot through him. If only he'd managed to stop the evil being from dragging Yuda in. Or if he'd only tried to save him quicker. Then maybe he wouldn't have gotten hurt so badly. Damn, if only he could help Yuda now, but he couldn't even do that. He couldn't even properly move without his head threatening to explode. He couldn't do anything, and he hated that feeling. The fact that Rei kept sending him worried glances didn't help much either, knowing there also was no way of truly calming the smaller angels worries.

"I'd wish we were out of here already," Rei suddenly said quietly, his voice trembling slightly. "Once the demons have gotten Hell back in order, they'll surely attack us. What if we can't…" A short silence, in which the purple-haired angel apparently tried his hardest not to look at him. "What if we can't protect you and Yuda?"

No matter how much he wanted to know a proper answer to that, he couldn't think of any. Which usually could be solved by just hugging Rei, instead of saying anything. Which would've been possible now to, if it weren't for the fact that Ruka could barely move, let alone sit up and hug his angel. With all of his strength, though, he did manage to put his hand over Rei's. When the purple-haired angel didn't respond to that, he said softly; "At least you can do something to help."

"I guess you're right." Sighing a bit shakily, Rei looked back at him. "Still, I'm scared that just me, Shin, Gai and Goh won't be enough. I mean, you and Yuda are stronger than me and Shin…"

"Rei. Don't say that." Tightening his grip on Rei's hand, Ruka made sure the smaller angel wouldn't look away. "You two aren't weaker than Yuda and me. We're all Saint Beasts." Rei nodded, but still didn't seem fully convinced. "Hey, don't look so depressed. We've come so far already, we'll get out of here alive."

"You can't be sure."

"It's not like you to be so negative." Ruka made sure not to let it sound unfriendly in any way, but still Rei looked away. "Rei, what's wrong?"

"I guess... I actually need you even more than I thought. Now that I didn't have you to talk to, even if only for half a day… This place is kinda making me claustrophobic, and I'd do almost anything to see the sun and feel fresh air for even a moment."

It almost hurt to feel as useless as he did right now. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"You're not invincible, I can't expect you to be up and walking while you're head probably hurts like Hell."

"Good point." Being reminded of it, made it more painful for some reason. "But I'd hug you, if you'd help." This turned out to be one of the rare occasions on which he actually blushed. Well, it wasn't like he needed help in hugging Rei that often. The purple-haired angel didn't seem to mind at all, carefully pulling Ruka into a sitting position so the silver-haired angel could embrace him. Rei immediately buried his face in Ruka's hair, holding him like a plush animal. The movement had been enough to make Ruka's headache to spike again and he had to close his eyes not to get dragged into the darkness by dizziness. "Rei… I love you. I'll never leave you."

The smaller angel didn't say anything back, but Ruka felt him nodding in response. After a while, just when Ruka was close to losing the fight to stay awake, Rei spoke again. "I hope Yuda wakes up soon too. It's even worse for Shin, at least I can carry you myself."

The blue-haired angel's power of time, Ruka understood instantly. "Does that make a difference?"

"It does." It came out at a slightly scolding tone. "I can do something to help you while we're walking, he can't do anything for Yuda. Well, besides defending him if we get attacked, but we're not exactly hoping for that to happen."

"If his injuries are as bad as they seem, it might be better for him not to wake up until they've healed a bit. That shoulder alone seemed painful enough even before the fight." Dizzily, he closed his eyes again. "Rei, sorry, but I don't think I can stay awake for much longer."

"Don't worry, as long as I can keep holding you I'll be fine. Just sleep for as long as you need to." Moving a bit backwards, Rei kissed him tenderly. "I love you." Ruka just smiled softly at him, then finally gave in to the exhaustion and headache.

Some hours later, when it was Shin's turn to be guard, he could barely pay attention to anything but the red-haired angel lying in his arms. Never before had he seen Yuda like this, so pale and weak. Honestly, he always thought Yuda looked beautiful when he was asleep, so relaxed and vulnerable, but this was entirely different. He wanted nothing more than for Yuda to be okay, to wake up. But he knew, having read many medical books, that with these injuries and blood loss it wouldn't be possible for Yuda to be conscious. Any worse, and he probably wouldn't even be alive.

Feeling tears burn behind his eyes, Shin quickly forced himself not to think of that. Yuda was alive, it was no use to worry about what could have happened. Trying to distract himself, he started caressing Yuda's soft hair. Even if his angel couldn't feel it, at least it gave Shin the illusion that there was something he could do. Besides that, the feeling of that silky red hair was soothing, making it almost possible for him to actually pay attention to their surroundings instead of his own worries.

In the near distance, he could hear the sound of screaming souls, and the low inhuman growls of demons. How unsettling the sound might be, the angels would be relatively safe as long as it could be heard. As long as the souls weren't caught and back in order yet, the demons wouldn't be able to spend any time hunting the six angels. Which also meant that Yuda and Ruka wouldn't be in danger.

Although Ruka had woken up, he could tell by the way the other two sat. Although Shin was somewhat envious, he was glad that Rei could be at least a bit less scared now. Still, he didn't watch them for long, his attention soon shifting back to Yuda.

As expected, no one was in a very positive mood that morning. Gai did make a weak attempt at a joke, but even Goh could barely force himself to smile at it. Their breakfast, a few cooked demonic snakes, didn't do anything to lift their spirits either, unsurprisingly. Without much conversation, the six angels eventually headed for the eighth circle.

Although he had slightly expected it, Rei felt fear rising when he saw the state of this circle. On their way down, it had been made up by shadows of trapped angelic souls trying to help innocent travelers, and shifting caves made by convicted souls trying to trap those same travelers. Now, it was even worse. The convicted souls weren't forming caves anymore, instead swarming around aimlessly, letting out horrifying screams. That wasn't what made it all worse, though. If anything, it made it easier to pass this circle.

No, what made the circle worse than Rei could've ever imagined, were the trapped souls of angels. They had obviously also felt the disturbance, felt that Hell was a complete chaos now. And apparently, it had awakened their hopes of escape. The shadows, now vaguely showing silhouettes of what they had once looked like, were swarming around as much as the convicted were. Only they didn't let out horrifying creams, but heartbreaking cries, while slamming into the walls and ceiling in an almost painfully desperate attempt to get back to Heaven. Had they been like this when they had first been trapped? Probably, but Rei knew that couldn't have been the same as now. Now there were hundreds of them, being pushed on by each others' actions. And the six Saint Beasts knew with unexplainable certainty, that they wouldn't stop until they'd escape. Even if that escape would never come.

Rei heard himself say it before even realizing he'd thought it. "We can't leave them here."

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**So… while writing this, I remembered about those trapped angelic souls. And I'd feel guilty to just let the Saint Beasts pass them by without trying to help ^-^; **

**I'll update soon ;)**


	42. Saving souls

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Typing is annoying when both the 'I' key and the spacebar only work half of the time… I hope I fixed all errors in this chapter ^^'  
And yeah, it's late again. For some reason I just can't write when it's a vacation longer than two weeks. I just get too lazy to write anything good. But on the bright side, I'm already halfway done with the next chapter, so that one will be posted soon enough ;)**

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"There's got to be something we can do to help." Automatically, Rei directed that question to Shin, like the blue-haired angel should know the answer.

"I don't think there's any specific action we could take to free them," Shin responded. "But if we can make them listen to us, they might be able to follow us out." It didn't sound too hopeful, as they looked at the aimlessly swarming souls. "But I don't think it'll be easy to get their attention, not now that they're in this state."

A silence followed, no one sure of what to do next. Unconsciously, Rei felt that they were almost waiting for Yuda to decide what to do. Which was stupid, of course. But the fact was that no one had any idea what to do, or even the desire to make a decision about this. Just standing there wouldn't bring them any further, though, and eventually Goh broke the silence. "Maybe they'll be attracted to light or something? I mean, we might be able to lure them to the exit with energy orbs."

"That might work indeed," Shin nodded. "If that doesn't work, I don't there's much we can do, aside from asking Zeus to help them once we get out of here." Gai added, almost inaudibly; "Like there's any chance he'd bother to do that." No one had any comment on that, not too eager to say it out loud, but knowing it'd be a lie to argue against that statement.

Goh, Shin and Gai all created an energy orb. Rei, not strong enough not to drop Ruka if he'd only use one arm, brought out his wings instead. As they slowly started walking, the angelic glow dragged attention. The demons and convicted souls, luckily, were too preoccupied to pay any attention to it. But the angelic souls, one by one, moved towards them, silently following. Rei couldn't help but to shiver slightly, at the feeling of being followed by them. After all, they were what you'd consider ghosts. Dead people, even if they were angels. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to not let it show, and just move on at a steady pace.

It felt like only a short time before they reached the end, or rather the beginning, of this circle. Now, finally, the six angels all looked back. Nothing but a large, glowing mass of angelic energy behind them. When Rei looked closer, though, he could vaguely make out faces, constantly shifting. Now that they were being led, though, the souls appeared to have calmed down, patiently waiting for the Saint Beasts to open the doors.

"Rei, when the door opens, try to move to the wall immediately once you and Ruka are through it," Shin warned. When Rei gave him a confused look, his friend explained; "They'll be in a hurry to get through it along with us. It wouldn't do Ruka any good if they all move right through him, especially while he's already in this state." Rei nodded, now understanding what the blue-haired angel meant. Honestly, he should've thought of that himself. But it was so like his friend to always think logically, just as it was so much like Rei to be distracted by other things.

As Shin said the spell, Rei practically felt the souls behind them closing in. Automatically, he tightened his grip on Ruka's legs and leaned forward a bit, ready to move as soon as he could. When the doors slowly opened, he practically ran through them, making a sharp turn and ending up against the wall beside the other side of the door. Just in time to see his friends run through, followed by the angelic souls. Within mere moments, all of them were through the door. Another moment later, it closed.

"Let's move on quickly," Goh said. Rei carefully maneuvered around the mass of angelic souls, making sure to not allow Ruka to get touched. To his surprise, they actually seemed to move away a bit, as if they understood his purpose and reason. Overall, they appeared calmer now. As the Saint Beasts walked on, the souls followed at a short distance, but never trying to hurry them.

Like in the former circle, the convicted souls were too preoccupied by trying to escape, to actually pay attention to them. Although they did stay away from the angelic souls, almost like touching them would somehow hurt. Rei felt, though, that the demons weren't fully ignoring them anymore. Sure, they still were busy chasing the souls, trying to harm them enough to force them back to where they belonged. But every now and then, one would turn and glance shortly at the cloud-like mass of angelic souls, followed by an even shorter glance in the direction of the Saint Beasts. The glances were, unsurprisingly, far from friendly.

"I wonder how long it'll be until a demon decides to attack us," Goh hissed to the others, evidently having noticed the same thing.

"The souls are still keeping them busy for now," Shin responded, at the same volume. "Although they have a higher pace of work than I had thought. Much higher."

"We won't get out without fighting," Rei realized, unconsciously whispering it out loud. Shin merely nodded, the look of fear in his eyes impossible to miss. Rei knew exactly how he felt.

"They won't be able to attack us like they did on our way down," Goh commented, obviously refusing to sound scared. "They can't afford to attack us with a huge group, while those convicted souls are still on the loose." "So we'll only be attacked by a small group," Gai added dryly. "Sounds a lot better." It didn't even earn him a glare, as they all knew it was essentially the truth. Though Rei would've preferred not to hear it out loud, and instead try to ignore the fact for a while longer.

Part of him felt sure, though, that the demons wouldn't attack now. Not while the angels were conscious of their glances, their hateful looks. Forcing himself to just pay attention to the way ahead of them, he stopped looking at the demons and souls. If one of them would attack, his instincts would warn him soon enough. No use to keep staring, and possibly provoking them.

"Rei?" The almost inaudible whisper against the side of his neck almost made him scream. As it was, he managed to keep it down to a muffled squeak and almost tripping over his own feet. And then feeling his cheeks heating up to a bright shade of red when his friends looked at him bewildered. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Ruka mumbled, sounding a bit amused.

"Geez, I thought there was a demon or something right behind me," Rei hissed, as soon as everyone stopped staring at him.

"Should I feel offended?" Ruka couldn't help but to ask, wondering what his angel was so tense about. His head was still hating him, making it difficult to see anything more than a few feet away. He felt Rei's annoyance at the tone of that remark, and quickly asked; "Are the demons interested in us now?"

"Yeah. Remember those angelic souls in the eighth circle?" Quickly, Rei explained the current situation.

His mind was recovered enough understand the whole picture and the possible complications. Almost automatically, he tightened his grip around Rei's neck, wishing he could do anything to protect the smaller angel. Or at least to not be a burden to him, quite literally. No chance, though, that he'd even be able to properly walk for at least another day. "Damn." He could do absolutely nothing, let alone protect Rei.

"Don't worry, I won't let them get anywhere near you." Something in the tone of Rei's voice made Ruka feel pretty sure that whatever demon would try to, would get to know the true meaning of an angel's wrath. And honestly, despite his wish to always protect Rei, he knew that his angel was more than able to fight for himself and his loved ones. Usually, he was just too sweet-natured and unsure of himself to let it show fully. Ruka knew he didn't have to worry for himself. However, he could only hope that Rei wouldn't become too reckless in protecting him.

Apparently, Rei didn't feel like discussing it any further, swiftly changing the subject. "How are you feeling, by the way?"

"Better than… yesterday?" "Last night, more precise. It's late in the afternoon now," Rei answered. "Oh. Well, that's a good thing, I guess."

Still worried, clearly, Rei kept quiet for a moment. "But how exactly are you feeling? Does your head still hurt?"

"Yeah, that didn't change much yet. But at least I can move a bit now. And thinking doesn't hurt anymore." He hadn't meant that last part to sound so dry, but it was nice nonetheless to hear Rei laugh softly. It felt like a lifetime had passed since he'd last heard that sound.

For the remainder of the day, not much else was said. Not only was no one in the mood for random talking, but anything that'd draw attention to them could be dangerous now. Being able to chat wasn't worth risking a fight with the demons anytime sooner than actually necessary.

By the time they reached the passage at the beginning of this circle, it was an easy agreement not to travel on until tomorrow morning. Not only were they more vulnerable at night, when the demons were strongest. Rei and Goh felt their backs aching from both carrying another person all day long, Shin was still tired from using his powers of time, only Gai didn't have anything to complain about. No one did complain though, at least not out loud. Rather, no one actually said anything unnecessary. Make as least noise as possible, seemed to be the unspoken rule.

After they ate a bit, only two demonic snakes could be caught, it was decided that two guards at a time would be best at this point. Which meant that everyone would only get four mere hours of sleep. Rei was glad, though, that Shin instantly said he'd pair up with Rei. Well, that was to be expected. As well as the fact that neither Goh nor Gai seemed any less than glad about being paired together too. What Rei wasn't so happy about, though, was the fact that Ruka insisted on staying awake too.

"You said that you still have a headache, go to sleep!" he basically hissed to his beloved one. After hinting at it in more friendly ways for about ten minutes already, he was starting to get frustrated. What if Ruka would start feeling worse if he didn't sleep enough?

"I don't want to!" It wasn't exactly a hiss, but it didn't come out all too friendly either. "I've slept for half of the day already!"

"But…"

"You can't force me!"

He saw the look in Rei's dark golden eyes change, and wished he'd just kept his mouth shut. "Idiot," was all the purple-haired angel said, before looking into another direction. He still allowed Ruka to lean against his side, but the taller angel felt how uncomfortable the touch suddenly was. Honestly, the times when things between them got so tense, were countable on the fingers of one hand. And here and now, he didn't want it to be one of those rare times. Especially when he knew Rei wasn't worrying unnecessarily.

"Sorry. I just really don't want to sleep. I just…" He didn't know how to say what exactly he felt. He just knew that he felt useless, and he hated that feeling. And that he wanted to talk to Rei, and wanted to watch him just sit there. To watch him fall asleep, if possible. "I miss you."

A long silence. "What?"

"I've been unconscious for a whole day, and half asleep for the past few hours."

"You've been on my back for that whole time." Apparently, he was still annoyed. Still, Ruka did wince slightly at that remark. "But… you weren't conscious." A deep sigh. "Okay, I understand. But promise you'll sleep tomorrow during the day."

"I promise."

"You can't even last a day without being consciously near me?" The question came without a warning, and it almost had Ruka startled before he saw the barely suppressed smile on Rei's face. "That's… sweet." Feeling his own cheeks heat up slightly, for a change, Ruka only replied with a soft kiss on Rei's cheek.

Shin did look up for moment when he hear his friends quarreling, but the whole thing went past him almost unnoticed. When they had sat down, earlier on, Goh had sat Yuda down beside Shin again. To his own guilt, he had refused to even look at his beloved one's face until everyone else would be asleep. Well, everyone besides Rei. And from the moment he had looked, he had been busy fighting back tears.

Yuda's face was so pale, almost grayish. Still there was an almost unnoticeable hint of pain visible. Shin knew that he was probably the only one who was able to tell, but he wasn't sure if it was in fact reality, or only his own imagination. Either way, it worried and scared him more than anything. And he still had a fever, it didn't even feel any less bad than last morning. Even his breathing still sounded scarily weak. What if, next morning… He couldn't fight a sob, trying to at least muffle it with his hand. No, that couldn't happen! If only Yuda would wake up, then maybe he wouldn't feel so terrified. Then it wouldn't feel so real, how badly injured he was. That he could… No!

He sobbed again, but suddenly Rei's arms were around him and he turned his head almost startled. "Shin? What's wrong?" Those large eyes were filled with so much concern and sympathy, Shin felt the barricades that were holding back his tears break down instantly. "Shin, calm down. He'll be all right. Just calm down," Rei whispered, hugging him gently.

"You don't know that for sure!" Another sob. "I just want him to wake up, I don't want him to be hurt anymore!" He knew he sounded like a child, but honestly he couldn't care less. He felt Rei caressing his back, trying to soothe him. "R-Rei? Do you think he looks like he's in pain?" The question came before he even realized it, and he didn't feel too sure if he actually wanted to know Rei's answer. He knew his friend wouldn't lie.

Rei didn't immediately respond, and Shin could almost feel his reluctance. "I don't know. I mean… he looks like he's completely out."

"He does look slightly like he's in pain," Ruka said quietly. "But not consciously. I think he's just fighting really hard to hold on."

Fighting to hold on? Even though Shin knew he should be glad that Yuda didn't give up, the words still made him feel like something was wrapping itself around his throat, tighter and tighter. It must've been showing on his face, because he felt Rei's hug loosening a bit, giving him more space to breath. "Shin? Calm down, please," his friend plead, "We have to be alert in case the demons attack." They had to be ready to protect Yuda and Ruka, but Rei wouldn't say that like this while Ruka was awake.

Forcing himself to breath steadily, Shin nodded. "Sorry." Rei just smiled sweetly at him, and the blue-haired angel couldn't help but to smile back, if only a little.

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**The next chapter will be posted soon ^-^**


	43. An angel's wrath

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Sorry for the wait, I'm still busy. Gotta create an event at a petting zoo for school as a project. Which takes a lot of time and effort, as I can't create volunteers and stuff out of thin air (something my school doesn't understand, apparently, as they barely give me any time to work on it…). However, and I know I said this many times before, all projects will be finished soon. October 17****th****, to be precise. And another project will be finished October 5****th****. So I will have more time to write. Too bad I can't just write the event, instead of having to make it a real-life thing ^^' Would be way easier.  
Btw, I've made a drawing to get inspiration for this chapter. If anyone's curious, here it is (unfinished): fairy666tale. deviantart art/Rei-with-ice-claws-328812711**

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It was only a mere hour later when Rei heard a sound that almost made his heart stop for a moment. The sound of demons talking amongst each other. It was snarling, rather than talking, but that wasn't what had Rei so startled. They were coming towards the angels. Shin and Ruka had heard it too, evidently, and the three angels sent each other a short glance before waking up Gai and Goh.

The only positive thing was, that they could see clearly. The angelic souls surrounded them, although careful not to touch Ruka, and formed a large circle of light around them. It did, however, make it difficult to see beyond that circle. Therefore, no one saw the first attack coming.

As soon as that attack was quickly slammed down by Goh, all Hell seemed to break loose. Demons swarmed towards them from the darkness, not many but enough to pose a serious threat. The four angels fought blindly, tearing down each demon they could reach. Even Ruka shot at them, to Rei's concern. The demons seemed to ignore what didn't move, meaning the silver-haired angel was undoubtedly putting himself in danger by fighting. Even though the demons swiftly lessened in numbers, larger demons came into the fight now.

Larger, and stronger.

Rei felt large claws tearing at him, and blindly shot at the owners of those claws. Part of him needed to know his friends were still okay, but concentrating on anything but defending himself right now would mean death. Something hit him against his back harshly and he fell forward. For a moment, his body wouldn't move and panic overcame him. When no demon finished the job, Rei crawled back onto his feet, the world around him blurring for a moment before turning back to normal.

Two large demons launched an attack towards him, but this time he saw it coming and hit them with his ice beams before they could reach. Finally having the time to check on Ruka, he saw the silver-haired angel trying desperately to fight off another large demon, the creatures claws almost touching him already. Rei froze, but only for a moment, before running towards his angel. An ice beam wasn't an option, not without hitting Ruka as well, but he had to do something!

Unable to fight the demon off any longer, Ruka screamed when the creature hit him in the face, leaving a bloody gash on Ruka's cheek. Upon hearing that scream, seeing the blood on his beloved one's face, Rei felt something inside him snap. Almost without thinking, he made ice form long and sharp spikes on his fingernails, turning his hands into claws. Before the demon even realized anything, the angel hit him away from Ruka. The creature let out a pained howl, blood gushing out of a deep wound on his throat, before attacking Ruka again.

Rei jumped the demon like a wild animal before it even made it halfway, burying his icy claws inside the creature's chest. The demon's muddy red eyes actually widened. Pain? Fear? Rei didn't know, and he honestly didn't care. "Don't you dare touching him," he growled, barely recognizing his own voice, pushing his claws in deeper. "He's mine." With that, he tore his claws out of the creature's body, along with its soulless heart.

For a moment, all went eerily silent, Rei realizing vaguely that it had been the last of the attacking demons. Slowly, the adrenaline-fuelled numbness faded, and he felt the ice on his hands melt. Blood and water dripped onto to floor, and he watched it mingle without truly seeing it. The demon's body had already evaporated into smoke, leaving no trace of what had happened. But it wasn't until now that Rei fully realized what he'd done, truly felt the wet warmth of the creature insides. Ruka. How could he have made Ruka see him like that?

"Rei!" Ruka yelled, when the purple-haired angel suddenly dropped onto his knees, staring at his hands before staring at Ruka. His beautiful eyes were filled with a mixture of horror and pain, and it gave Ruka the unnerving feeling that Rei would flee if he wouldn't approach the smaller angel carefully enough. "Rei? Are you all right? What's wrong?" Despite the pain and exhaustion, he crawled towards his angel as quickly as he could when he saw tears forming in Rei's eyes. To his relieve, the smaller angel didn't move away when Ruka wrapped his arms around him.

"S-sorry… I'm sorry…" The sobs came out so quietly, Ruka didn't believe he'd actually heard that. The way Rei refused to lean into the embrace, though, made the silver-haired angel look at him worriedly. "Rei?"

Tears falling down his cheeks, Rei tried to talk again without sobbing, refusing to look back at Ruka. "S-sorry… I never m-meant for you t-to see me like- like t-that. I must've l-looked like a m-monster…" That last word ended in another sob, and Ruka almost felt his heart break when his empathy showed him exactly how Rei felt. It made his head throb painfully, but that didn't matter right now. How could Rei think that? Because of what he did to that last demon? Because of what he'd said, or rather, the tone in which he said it? No, his empathy and how well he knew the angel told him exactly why. Rei was stronger than he seemed, but never cruel. And now in the heat of the fight, of protecting Ruka, he had been cruel. And he hated that side of himself.

Knowing he should choose his words carefully now, if not to hurt Rei further, Ruka said softly; "You protected me. Does it make you a monster to protect a loved one?" It did make Rei look at him, but the tears didn't stop. Not knowing too well what else he could say, Ruka could only come up with one thing. Which could either help, or blow up in his face. "You really are like a mother hen defending her chicks."

Rei didn't take it as an insult, apparently, as his crying didn't get worse. However, he did avert his gaze again, soft purple hair falling over his eyes. "Hens don't t-tear out h-hearts." Ruka just looked at him for a long moment, feeling slightly lost, and a bit dizzy. When Rei kept refusing to look at him, he let out a soft sigh. "Rei, please look at me." No response. "Rei… I can't keep this up for much longer, please." With obvious reluctance, Rei looked up at him again. "You ripped out his heart because he attacked me while I can't defend myself. Because I'm yours, you said so yourself. You did something you'd normally never do, something you hate yourself for doing. And you did that to protect me. How can you even think I'll see you as a monster for that? If anything, it makes me even more thankful that we're together." A short silence, in which Ruka gently dried the tears on Rei's face. "Rei, please don't feel bad about something you should be proud of."

His angel let out a soft cry and finally returned the hug, his arms wrapped tightly around Ruka's waist and shoulders. "I was so scared that he'd… he'd hurt you, and…" He nearly started sobbing again, so Ruka gently silenced him with a kiss. Without even needing to touch him, Ruka knew Rei was finally calming down. When they broke their kiss to breathe, the smaller angel actually smiled at him softly. "I love you." It wasn't more than a whisper, but the look in Rei's eyes alone would've been enough to send that message. Ruka could only hope his own smile managed to do the same, his headache starting to make him feel sick enough not to take the risk of talking any longer.

Carefully, Rei maneuvered the both of them back to the wall Ruka had been leaning against. "You aren't hurt, right? Besides that scratch on your cheek?" the smaller angel then asked worriedly. Ruka only shook his head, wincing as the headache spiked for a moment. Needing to know for sure that his angel was also all right, but pretty sure he'd throw up over him if he'd open his mouth, he looked at Rei's body. His angel got the hint, and reassured him immediately. "I'm okay too, besides a broken nail and cold hands." Letting out a soft sigh, the smaller anger pulled Ruka against himself and relaxed. "They'll warm up soon, with you so close to me."

"Maybe Gai and me should take over the shift as guards…"

"There's still a full hour to go before our shift is over," Rei interrupted him. "We'll barely have any time to sleep before we get out of Hell, it wouldn't be wise to miss a full hour." "Besides, we didn't end up injured or anything," Shin added. "There's no reason for us not to finish our shifts."

Only some time earlier, Ruka had wanted to watch Rei sleep. After the fight, although he hadn't really done much, it suddenly seemed much better to fall asleep in his angel's arms. Slumped against his angel, eyes closed, he barely listened to the short conversation. When it got quiet, though, he felt Rei's soft hand on his cheek and slowly opened his eyes. The purple-haired angel looked at him somewhat worriedly. "Ruka? Are you really all right?"

"Just tired, don't worry." He couldn't suppress a yawn, and practically felt Rei smiling softly. "Wake me up if more demons attack, okay?"

"Okay." Ruka wasn't sure if his angel was lying, and truly it didn't even matter. After all, it wasn't like he could protect Rei in this state. So he simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of being held by his beloved one. He could feel that Rei enjoyed it too, that it made him feel slightly more safe. Which made Ruka feel slightly less useless. The last thing he heard before falling asleep, was Rei asking Shin if he happened to have a nail file with him.

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**I'll update as soon as I can ^-^**


	44. Almost halfway back

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^**  
Due to the fact that my laptop's keyboard gave up about halfway, this marks the first chapter partly written on my new laptop :D It also marks the point from which on I'll update more regularly ;)**

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The first half of that night went by with more mood switches than Rei felt he could handle right now. First the small argument with Ruka, then Shin crying. Then the fight against the demons. After that there was a small casual conversation about nails. And then there was a silence in which both Shin and Rei got too much time to think and worry. And now that it was finally his and Shin's turn to sleep, Rei found that his mind simply wouldn't shut down.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, he buried his face against Ruka's shoulder. If only he could just concentrate on his angel's presence, then maybe he'd be able to fall asleep. They barely had any time to rest as it was, it'd be bad if it would take him half of that time to actually drift off to dreamland. Luckily, Goh and Gai didn't ask anything. Having to talk about how he felt, would only take him further away from the possibility of sleep.

'Think of something else,' he told himself. So he just listened to Ruka's breathing and tried to imagine they were at home, on earth, sitting at the edge of a forest in the sunlight. Tried to imagine Ruka holding him tight, telling him not to worry about anything. Although he realized it was only imagination, it did help him relax a bit more.

When morning came, Shin woke him up. Not even recalling ever actually falling asleep, Rei looked at him drowsily. "It's already morning?"

"It is, sorry." The blue-haired angel smiled sheepishly. "I guess it's a useless question, but did you sleep well?"

"Sort of." He yawned. "Slept well, just took a really long time to actually fall asleep." Immediately, the look in Shin's eyes turned into worried. Not wanting to have this issue blown out of proportions, Rei quickly returned the question. "Did you sleep well?"

Glancing at Yuda, Shin sighed. "Not really. Even while I sleep, I keep scared that he will…" Biting his lower lip, he averted his gaze towards the ground. "I kept waking up randomly, because I just have to check if he's still okay."

Rei wasn't really sure how to respond. It'd be useless to tell his friend not to worry so much, as he did have good reason to be worried. But it wouldn't exactly be helpful to tell him he was right to worry. "If you need to talk, even if it's in the middle of the night, just wake me up."

Shin smiled softly at him, though it didn't really reach his eyes. "That be very nice of you, but then we'd both be tired all day."

"We'll be of more use if we're both just a little tired, than if you're practically sleepwalking," Rei remarked dryly. Even Shin couldn't argue against that, instead he only nodded and glanced at Yuda again. "Hey, at least we're already at the sixth circle," Rei tried to cheer him up. "And he doesn't seem to be getting worse."

"He's not exactly getting better either." It probably came out more bitter than Shin had meant it to sound, but Rei still flinched slightly at the tone. Shin noticed, obviously, and looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, I guess I'm a bit stressed out."

"I understand," Rei sighed. "It'd be way easier if none of would've gotten hurt. I just really think we should try to help each other, so no one else gets injured." Shin only nodded, and Rei decided he'd better just let it be. Although he really wanted to help his friend, there wasn't much he could actually do. And arguing about wouldn't make either of them feel better.

"Rei, Shin? Don't forget to eat breakfast, we'll have to leave soon if we want to make it through two circles before evening," Goh informed them. A few demonic snakes lay cooked on the ground. Rei would almost consider choosing not to eat, over trying to get that stuff down his throat, but anything was better than nothing. Maybe. "Okay," Rei responded without much enthusiasm. He tried to wake Ruka, which took longer than it should, but his angel refused to eat anything. Apparently, the headache had returned at full strength, after last night.

Rei couldn't help but to feel guilty about that. After all, if he hadn't broken down after… ending that demon, to put it nicely, Ruka wouldn't have had to comfort him. Especially just after his power of empathy had been so overloaded, it couldn't have helped to have to feel such disturbed emotions from Rei. So in short, it was probably his fault that the headache was so bad now. "Sorry," he mumbled, tenderly caressing his angel's hair. In response, Ruka simply pulled him close and kissed him.

As they stepped into the circle, Rei and Goh carrying Ruka and Yuda on their backs again, Rei felt worry rising. This one was the circle with the tombs. The burning tombs, filling the circle with smoke. Not good, considering their two wounded friends.

"Let's hurry," Goh said. Followed by the many angelic souls, the Saint Beasts moved on, walking slightly faster than usual.

Even though Rei wasn't sure whether Ruka was awake or not, at least he could both feel and hear that his angel didn't have any trouble breathing through the smoke. How Yuda was doing, he couldn't tell. But if the red-haired angel would be having serious trouble, Goh would surely tell them. Overall, the only one who could be heard coughing every now and then, was Shin. The angelic souls, after a while, seemed to form a circle around them, holding back some of the smoke.

"I didn't know souls could do that," Gai remarked.

"Looks like they only just figured it out too," Goh responded, looking at how the souls moved around, trying to figure out how to be useful as a smoke screen. "It's good that they're trying to help us, though."

"Yeah, though I don't think they'd be very useful in a fight against demons," Gai said, looking around. "There aren't any here, but by the time we get to the first few circles, they'll have most of the doomed souls back in order."

"Which means that Cerberus might try to use us as a football again," Rei groaned. He hadn't yet forgotten how it had felt to have the broken bone in his leg set, and he wasn't sure he ever would. Then, it occurred to him that this time, they wouldn't have Yuda to heal them. "Let's hope any demons we encounter will be too distracted to seriously harm us."

"I doubt it, honestly." Shin glanced at him almost apologetically. "At the rate they're going now, we won't simply walk out of the first few circles. So we should probably try to come up with a strategy, as soon as we reach a new circle."

After a short silence, Goh said; "Wasn't the fifth circle the one which made us fight each other?"

Shin only nodded, and Rei practically felt the tension in the air. Last time Yuda had been able to make them snap out of it by literally knocking them out. But the only reason he hadn't been dragged along with the worsening mood, was because he'd been in pain and therefore distracted. It had been nothing but sheer luck, though Rei refused to believe they wouldn't actually injured each other.

"Maybe if we go in pairs?" Gai suddenly suggested. "I mean, we started with arguing and it got worse from there. But Ruka and Yuda are either unconscious or asleep almost the entire time. So there's no possibility for arguing."

"But then someone else would have to be knocked out too, to end up with even numbers," Rei commented. "Besides, what if the person carrying the unconscious one would get annoyed anyway, and leave him there?"

"Would you ever leave Ruka like that?" Goh simply asked. No answer was needed, Rei would be too worried about his beloved one to even notice the circle's power anymore. "But… it might be for the best if Shin carries Yuda. I mean, we're friends, but no one loves him more than Shin."

"I think I can do it," Shin nodded. Rei didn't want to question whether he truly felt that, or just refused not to be able to do it.

"So, that leaves us," Gai remarked. "For the record, I'm not willing to let myself be mauled by a demon."

"I could just cast a sleeping spell on you. Or maybe Goh should, considering you're the least heavy to carry," Shin suggested. He wouldn't be able to cast a spell strong and precise enough to trap another angel in sleep for hours, and then also have the energy left to carry Yuda through the fifth circle. It went without saying, and no one felt the urge to comment on that.

"It's up to you, Gai," Goh said.

"Well, it is the only way." It sounded reluctant. "But the spell won't make me sleep for any longer than absolutely necessary, right?"

"It won't," Shin promised. That seemed to be enough reassurance for the blonde angel, and it kept relatively silent until they finally reached the passage between the sixth and fifth circle.

"Shin, are you sure you'll be okay?" Rei asked, just after they'd finished lunch and Goh was casting the sleeping spell over Gai. Shin only nodded, not too eager to let Rei notice how scared he felt. Honestly, he could only hope he'd be able to carry Yuda. He still didn't feel fully recovered, and he hated it more than anything right now that using his power over time took such a toll on his body. All the others would have to make an exceptionally large effort for their powers to drain them so much, yet his would render him half unconscious by using it even slightly.

"Hey." Without any more of a warning, Rei hugged him. "Stop looking like that, if you think you can do it then I'm sure you can." Shin only nodded, but at least he managed to smile slightly.

He wasn't so sure about what Rei said anymore, when he stepped into the circle. For safety, he and Yuda went first. Rei would leave the passage with Ruka about five minutes later, and Goh and Gai would be the last couple to cross this fifth circle. As long as he knew he was still visible for his friends, Shin managed to walk steadily. But as soon as the dim light in Hell made him impossible to see from that far away, he slowed down a bit. Despite the fact that Yuda obviously had lost some weight the last few days, he still was taller than Shin, and heavier. Heavier than Shin had expected, to be honest. Or maybe, probably, it was just him.

Still, he'd concentrate on that, rather than to pay too much attention to how slack Yuda's body was, how hard it was to notice him breathing. How he could feel the press of his angel's ribs against his back, more than he was supposed to. How all his heart screamed for Yuda to please wake up and tell him everything will be all right in the end. No, he'd much rather just keep concentrated on the weight, if only to keep his own sanity somewhat intact as he walked here alone with his unconscious angel.

No demons were around in this circle, that at least was a small blessing. How would he have tried to fight them of? By glaring at them? In reality, he knew he'd only have to fight them off for minutes. The whole reason for only keeping five minute gaps between the couples, was so help wouldn't arrive too late if anyone ended up in trouble. Goh and Gai were least likely to need help, with Gai being the easiest to carry, and Goh at full health and strength. Rei could only get in trouble if demons would team up to attack him and Yuda. And even then, he'd probably be able to finish them off alone, if they dared to lay a finger on Ruka. He'd made that more than clear to the last demon who dared that, despite feeling bad afterwards about showing that side of himself to his friends and especially his beloved one.

And Shin was realistic enough to know that he and Yuda were the most danger prone couple at the moment. Not only because Yuda was still badly injured, and therefore practically a sitting duck if any demons would target them. Shin couldn't deny that there also was a very real danger of his own exhaustion catching up with him, so he'd be unable to continue. Now that was something he had some influence on, at least. As long as he'd keep walking steadily, not going any faster or slower than his usual walking pace, he had some confidence he could make it to the next passage.

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**I'll try to update soon ^-^**


	45. Hiding and fighting

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

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Rei had to force himself not to walk overly fast. The whole idea of pairing up was to prevent the atmosphere of this circle from making them argue amongst each other. So trying to get closer to Shin would defeat the whole purpose. Besides, cold as it may sound, if his friend would be attacked or collapse, Rei would reach him soon enough by walking at a regular pace. That thought, though, only made him more eager to be able to keep an eye on his friend from where he was walking. Why couldn't Hell just make traveling through it easy for once? Well, the answer was probably already in the question.

At least Ruka was somewhat awake. Not enough to make it a risk, considering the power of this circle. But enough to hold onto Rei's neck in his sleep, making him a little bit easier to carry. Hopefully he wouldn't really wake up, though, as that also would be a bad thing in this circle. What had happened the last time they were here was enough of a prove that even lovers weren't immune to it.

Forcing that memory away for the moment, Rei looked around. Not much to see, not a clue how far across the circle they already were. As far as he could tell, they must've been walking for almost half an hour now. How long did it take them last time? Too bad he hadn't paid much attention to that. It hadn't been that long, though. Two hours, maybe? Which meant they were only a quarter through yet, which was a lot less than he would've liked. And it also made him remember why he didn't particularly liked to travel without someone to talk to. He simply couldn't stop thinking, even if were only about useless things. Usually he could just talk to whoever was with him, now he only had his own mind.

Letting out a silent sigh, he looked around again. Still nothing worth noticing. Only shadows, reddish light and occasionally some random smoke. No demons either, at least that was a good thing. He wouldn't exactly look forward to fighting off a bunch of demons on his own, even if he knew he'd kill them for sure if they'd dare lay a finger on Ruka. He could only hope Shin hadn't encountered any either.

Was that movement in the distance? Not daring to stop walking in order to look properly, Shin could merely guess. It looked like one or two figures lurking around, but why would they when all doomed souls had apparently escaped this particular circle? Shouldn't all demons be after them? They might've left some behind, though, just in case some souls would come through this circle. It was a possibility, and it was the one Shin hoped for. The only other reason he could think of for any demons to be waiting there, was if the demons were planning to attack the angels. But there would be more of them, in that case. Unless these were only observers, and would alarm others when they'd spot them. If that were the case, he was in trouble.

Simply walking around them wouldn't be a good idea. This was Hell, not some well kept park. If he wouldn't walk straight ahead, he might actually get lost. He'd surely get lost, passing them by at just a few feet distance would make much of a difference as opposed to walking directly to them. Besides that, it would imply fear, which would immediately make him an apparently easy prey. Another idea was to wait for Rei, but he'd have to be sure of the shapes being demons before doing that. It probably was the best idea, although it did of course have an important downside. If he'd be close enough to properly see the demons, they'd also be able to properly see him. But he'd have to take the risk.

Taking a deep breath, his back protesting slightly, he kept walking ahead. Yuda was still unconscious, which didn't do much good for his nerves, but at least he wouldn't have to worry about his angel trying to protect him while injured himself.

The closer he got towards them, the more he realized that he had indeed ran out of luck. The shapes weren't just shadows. However, they were facing the other way, or so he assumed. He couldn't see their eyes. Which also meant that, at least for now, they didn't see him. As long as he'd be quiet, he might keep that advantage and attack them first without them being able to defend himself. That did seem like a low strategy, but these were demons. They'd do the same, and Shin couldn't risk his and Yuda's lives just for the sake of being a good sport. Besides, if he'd just stay here and be quiet, he'd hopefully avoid having to fight them on his own. If they would just keep staring into the opposite direction, he could wait for Rei. Two against two were much better odds than him alone against two of them, even if they wouldn't defend themselves properly during the first attack.

It felt like hours, long and tense hours, before he finally heard footsteps far behind himself. Not daring to turn away from the demons for too long, he only glanced back shortly. The long hair was easily recognizable, luckily. The footsteps immediately grew more quiet when Rei evidently also spotted the two demons, and Shin waited in silence for his friend to reach him. "What are they doing?" Rei whispered, when he finally stood beside his friend.

"They seem to be guarding the entrance to this circle," Shin replied. "What should we do? It'll be dangerous to fight them while carrying Ruka and Yuda, but leaving them here might be dangerous as well."

Rei glanced at Yuda for a moment. "We could try to get as close to them as possible, then put Yuda and Ruka on the ground as soon as we have to fight. Those demons don't seem that strong, we'll be able to kill them before they can reach them."

"I hope so." A short silence, in which Rei looked at him waiting for an explanation. "I guess my body hasn't fully recovered from using my power of time yet," Shin admitted, looking at the floor. "If they turn out to be stronger than we think, I might not be able to fight them so easily."

"You aren't alone, we can defeat them." He sounded slightly tense, but there was no fear in his eyes. Well, at least one of them had some self confidence left. Shin only nodded, and together they started walking.

Although the two demons occasionally shifted their positions a bit, they didn't seem to be very good at their jobs. Not even once did they glance behind and see the angels silently approaching them. Rei was thankful for that fact, though. The two didn't seem that strong, mere lower class demons. Even with Shin not at his full strength, the angels wouldn't have that much trouble. Which didn't necessarily mean that the demons wouldn't stand a chance of injuring them, though. Something he really wanted to prevent during the current situation.

There was only about twenty feet left when Rei wordlessly signaled Shin that it was time to leave Ruka and Yuda on the ground. With obvious reluctance, Shin put Yuda down while Rei tried to wake up Ruka. They were too focused on the threat now anyway, to be in any danger of arguing, and Rei suddenly felt some paranoia at the thought of leaving the two alone and both unconscious. Luckily, Ruka kept his mouth shut when he awoke and looked up at the purple-haired angel with a look of worry. Before he could ask anything aloud, Rei whispered in his ear; "There's two demons ahead, Shin and I will fight them. If another demon gets anywhere near you and Yuda, you have to warn us. Okay?" Ruka only nodded, though the look of worry only got more intense. As an effort of reassurance, Rei gave him a soft kiss.

Standing back up, not looking back at the two on the ground, Rei started nearing the demons with Shin following by his side. Only a few steps, then one of them finally heard their footsteps and turned. No time was wasted in making the first move, the demons instantly jumped at them, fangs bared. Finally allowing at least some of the aggression of this circle's atmosphere into his system, Rei made a counter attack. If Shin wouldn't be capable of defeating even one of the demons, there'd be no value in holding back.

Watching his angel fight, and Shin trying to at least harm the other demon, Ruka had to force himself not to crawl over to there and fight along with them. Part of him also enjoyed seeing Rei like that, though, especially since these demons didn't seem to pose a large threat. He wasn't sure if his angel would see it as a compliment if Ruka would ever tell him, but he thought Rei looked amazing while he fought like that. Still, he'd rather see that while the other anger was sparring, instead of truly fighting something that was trying to harm him.

As Rei slowly won the battle against the demons, Ruka looked around. Empty, dark and cave-like. And where were Gai and Goh? Rei hadn't seemed worried about anything besides the demons, so it was probably part of a plan. Moving a bit to look at the angel lying next to him, he noticed how awfully pale Yuda still was. Not daring to sit up, to risk attracting any attention from the demons or to distract Rei, he only turned upon his side to have a better view of his injured friend. Which didn't make the knot that his stomach had suddenly turned itself into, lessen a bit.

Honestly, from the point on when he'd first woken up after the fight in the deepest point of Hell, he'd either been too dizzy or his vision had been too blurry, or he'd simply been too far away to get a close up look at his friend. Now that he did, he could honestly say he'd never seen Yuda look as bad as he did right now. Last time he'd seen anyone looking so weak had been when he'd nearly killed Rei, back in that cave. That thought really didn't do too much good for his nerves, and the worst thing was that he couldn't do anything about it. The injuries wouldn't heal as long as they had to carry him around day after day. Until they'd get out of Hell, and could finally properly treat Yuda's wounds, he wouldn't get any better. All they could do was hoping for their friend to hold on until then. What if he couldn't?

The knot in his stomach seemed to tighten itself. No, he couldn't even dare to think that! Of course Yuda would hang on. He was their leader, the one who always figured out how to get through every challenge they'd be faced with. Who would always be willing to help anyone in need. Most importantly, Yuda was his best friend. Trying in vain to swallow the sudden lump in his throat, he took hold of Yuda's hand. It felt cold, but at least touching him made Ruka feel that Yuda was still there. And he could fool himself into thinking that Yuda felt him too.

"Ruka?" Looking up, he realized he hadn't even paid attention anymore, to the fight. Rei and Shin were kneeling at their sides, Shin looking slightly more ruffled than Rei, but both without injuries. Rei looked at him with concern showing in his eyes, Shin rather seemed like he didn't want to look at him. Or probably, at the visible evidence that Yuda really did look that bad, that others saw it too. "Ruka?" Rei asked again. "Are you okay?" Ruka only nodded.

"Do you… do you feel anything from him?" Shin suddenly asked, quiet enough for Ruka to wonder if he was even supposed to hear. Then Shin looked up, an almost desperate look in his eyes. "Anything?"

Even if he tried, no emotions came to him through his power of empathy. Not trusting his voice, he only shook his head softly.

Shin took a shaky breath. "Sorry for asking. I just… hoped he was at least a bit conscious."

No, he truly was on his own, at least mentally. Not willing to continue this conversation, especially not in this place, he tried to sit up. To his own surprise, he managed it and helped Rei a bit to get Yuda on Shin's back again. Then, the purple-haired angel let Ruka climb on his back, and they were on their way again. If Rei felt the tears silently falling down on his shoulder, he thankfully didn't let it show.

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**I feel guilty -.- Luckily they're almost through the fifth circle already.**


	46. Training wheels

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Sorry for not updating in such a long time. I've been busy with school and looking for a job (still busy with that last one).**

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Rei felt the sudden wetness on his shoulder, of course he did, but knew better than to start an emotional conversation in Hell. Especially in a circle that could use any negative emotion to make them quarrel. Of course logic didn't make it feel any less awful to ignore his beloved one's tears. All he wanted was to tell Ruka that everything would be fine once they'd get out of here, but they'd both know there was no way of knowing that for sure. There were still four circles left, at least two or three days until they'd finally reach the exit. They'd had to fight two minor demons this time, who knew what could be waiting for them later on? Surely they wouldn't just let the angel's leave in peace, after all of Hell had been brought down to chaos because of them defeating the evil below the ninth circle.

They might have to give it their all to get through it, if there would be a big fight. And meanwhile, they'd have to find a way to protect their injured friends. Rei knew he shouldn't worry so much about that, as there was nothing he could do to change that possibility, but his mind just wouldn't let the feeling of dread go.

By the time Goh saw the end of the circle, closely followed by all of the angelic souls, Gai was starting to wake up. "Are we there yet?" was the first thing the blonde asked.

"Not knowing the answer yourself, do you really think it's smart to ask one of the most annoying questions ever?" Goh asked dryly.

Grinning, the blonde replied; "No, but Shin wouldn't have let you put a spell on me that would've only made me sleep through half the circle."

"I could still leave you here, you know?" Goh teased.

"You wouldn't, you'd be too bored without me."

"How very humble of you."

Gai laughed at that, tightening his grip around Goh's neck. "I'd sure be bored without you." Goh didn't really respond to that, and Gai was more than a little bit amused when he realized his friend was actually shy. He managed to stop himself from joking about it, though, knowing it'd hurt his friend. Or, boyfriend.

"Only four circles left after this one," Goh remarked, once they'd reached the entrance to the passage.

"Yeah. I hope everyone else got through safely too." He found out as soon as the gate opened and Goh let him off his back. "Did you hit your head or something?"

Rei barely looked up from braiding Ruka's hair. "We had to do something while waiting." Honestly, Gai could tell from how tense he looked that boredom wasn't all. But if anything like a large demon attack had happened, they wouldn't hide it from him and Goh. Not asking anything was probably the best right now, though he did feel slightly worried not knowing what was wrong. It wasn't until Rei shot him a quick glance that he realized he was still staring. "We did encounter two demons, but they seemed to be waiting for demons rather than us. They were pretty weak too."

"You didn't get hurt or anything?" Goh asked concerned.

"No, luckily they didn't get any backup, and they were too busy fighting me and Shin to try anything towards Ruka and Yuda," Rei replied. The red haired angel was currently lying in Shin's arms, obviously still unconscious, but at least without any added injuries. To judge by the look Ruka cast at Yuda, the silver-haired angel didn't think so positively. Gai did notice that Ruka seemed a lot better than earlier, and a lot more aware of the world around them. Which might explain the scene he and Goh walked into.

"We're already halfway through, let's hope that those demons won't be waiting for us in bigger numbers before we get out," Goh remarked. "Or that Cerberus." None of them missed Rei tensing up for a split second when being reminded of that, but apparently no one felt the need to keep up the subject.

In almost complete silence, they had dinner and only talked to decide which two would be guards first. Gai had been forced to sleep half of the day, so this time he would take the first shift. To change things up for once, it was decided that Rei would team up with him, and Goh with Shin. To Gai's surprise, it were Shin and Rei who suggested it. They didn't seem to have had an argument or anything. Accepting the fact that it was their issue would be the right thing to do. Of course, Gai didn't do that. "Since when do you two not want to gossip together?" he asked.

Shin just looked at Yuda, leaving Rei to answer. The purple haired angel looked slightly uncomfortable, but did look at Gai when he replied. "We're constantly together, and we're also constantly together in worrying about our boyfriends. Especially Yuda." A short silence, in which he seemed to be searching for the right words. "We're just worried that we… understand each other too well, kind of. And thereby influencing each other's awareness of how he's doing. For better or worse." He shrugged awkwardly. "It probably sounds weird, but we hoped that seeing him without being influenced by the other for some time, might allow us to see the situation more objectively. Which could either cause even more worry, or less. But it's better than feeling like we might be driving each other crazy without knowing it." He sighed somewhat shakily. "Well, and we were getting the feeling we're starting to form groups, and having too little interaction between the four of us."

"You're like brothers, it's understandable to search each other's support in all this," Goh commented. "But you might be right. I just hope it won't serve to make you two even more scared for Yuda's well-being."

Rei only nodded at that, evidently worried about that too. Gai wasn't really sure how to respond, which usually made him turn to childish remarks, but that'd be too inappropriate now. So for once, he decided to just keep his mouth shut.

It wasn't much later when Goh and Shin went to sleep. Ruka had already fallen asleep earlier, which left Gai and Rei the only ones awake. "I'm bored," Gai complained after less than fifteen minutes.

"What am I supposed to do about that?" Rei responded dryly.

"I don't know." He made it sound as childish as possible.

"Go count rocks or something."

"That's boring. What do you do when you're bored?"

"I usually go flying. I could try to throw you across this passage if that helps?" Rei offered with a grin.

It took some moments of trying to stop laughing, before Gai could respond properly. "I think I'll pass." A short silence followed. "When we get home, can you cook fish?"

"Sure. Can't wait to actually make a decent dinner again."

"Yeah, those demonic snakes are hideous in both look and taste." Gai shivered just thinking about it. "Still better than starving, but not by much."

Rei only smiled at that, suddenly distracted by some sound in the distance. "Did you hear that too?"

It had sounded like demonic growls. "It didn't sound like they were being friendly towards anything. Hopefully they're too preoccupied to come to this passage."

"It sounded like it was on the other side of the fifth circle. If they were searching for us, they wouldn't have made any noise that might warn us," Rei commented almost in a whisper. Suddenly, he paled as if he thought of something bad. "Maybe the two demons Shin and me killed had an appointment with them."

The implications of that were clear. "They'll know something happened. And we'll be in trouble." Rei only nodded, looking more scared than Gai had expected. "Hey, you defeated the other two. They won't sent a whole group of demons to meet with two others, right? Not while Hell is still a mess."

"Y-yes, but..." A glance towards Ruka told enough, yet Rei still explained. "Ruka won't just sit back and watch us fight them again. And I can't stop him, but I don't think he actually stands a chance against any demon right now. Not yet."

You could freeze him," Gai joked automatically. It wasn't exactly a glare Rei threw him, but the purple-haired angel sure looked like he regretted ever starting a serious conversation with the blonde. Which wasn't what Gai had meant to happen, and not for the first time he hated his own tendency to make a joke as soon as a conversation got too serious. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say that, it just... happens."

"Well, it's not really helpful." It sounded disappointed rather than angry, and Gai wasn't sure which was worse. He looked like he wanted to say more, but in the end decided not to.

"I really didn't mean to. I know it's not helpful, but I never know what to say when conversations get too serious. Especially when it's about personal stuff, why else would I have waited so long to have that talk with Goh?" Not to mention the fact he'd had to be manipulated to nearly kill the other angel before he'd finally admitted how he felt.

"I know. I shouldn't have said anything." That sounded almost apologetic, which was definitely worse.

"But... you can talk to me. Just remember I'm still a rookie at serious conversation. Consider lame jokes my training wheels." Hoping Rei wouldn't reject that offer, he stared up at the taller angel.

The purple haired angel looked back at him for a moment and laughed softly. "All right, no need to put up your kitten eyes look."

Relieved that Rei had forgiven him so easily, Gai grinned for a moment. However, he still felt like he should somehow prove he was capable of serious conversation. "Seriously, though, even if Ruka insist on fighting, couldn't you just keep the demons away from him? He might not like that, but he can't stop you from protecting him."

The taller angel seemed a bit taken aback by that suggestion, and even Gai realized instantly that he'd accidentally uncovered a deeper problem. Was that good or bad? Honestly, he didn't feel like ending up in some extremely painful conversation, and then saying something stupid that would make Rei hate him forever. Not that the purple-haired angel seemed able to truly hate anyone or anything, but still. Though maybe he didn't have to worry, Rei didn't look like he was too eager to talk about it anyway, staring off into the darkness past the passageway.

So sudden it almost startled Gai, the taller angel turned his gaze towards him. "I don't know if I can."

"Huh?" Okay, that wasn't a proper response. "But you didn't have trouble with any of those weaker demons.

"That's the whole point." Looking down at his hands for a moment, especially the broken nail, Rei explained; "I don't want to be like that, I don't want to fight like some kind of guard dog. Since I sliced that one demon open with ice claws... it scares me to fight them at such close range."

"Even while you know you can beat them?" Gai's tone was unsure, as he felt he was missing the point completely. To judge by the way Rei's shoulders slumped slightly, he had. "Please explain what you meant? Remember, rookie here?"

"I'm scared of myself. I could've simply frozen than demon, or shot him through the chest. But instead..." He shivered. "I never thought I could be unnecessarily cruel. But I was."

"So? You did it to protect Ruka in the heat of the moment. Does that make you bad? Last time I fought like that, it was directed at Goh. What would that make me, then?" Thinking about that still hurt, but at least it got the point across. He hoped.

"But you were being manipulated by a demon."

"And you were terrified of losing Ruka. That's not exactly helpful when trying to make calm and rational decisions." Did that come out right? He had absolutely no idea, it felt like he was lost in some desert and just running aimlessly hoping to find the right path. "You were acting on instinct. And it's not surprising that slaying whoever dares to harm your loved ones is typical Rei-instinct."

Rei just looked at him for a long moment, until Gai felt so uncomfortable he made an effort at looking at anything but Rei. "I know. Ruka told me the same. I guess I just haven't really accepted that side of me yet," the taller angel said eventually. "I should be glad to be complaining at all, at least it means Ruka is already well enough to do dumb things."

"That's another way to look at it," Gai grinned.

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**I'll try to update in less than a few months this time ^-^'**


	47. Worries and ice

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**So…. Most of this chapter, apart from the last few lines, was already done about a year ago. But then I kinda lost interest. Sorry about that. I started a weblog about makeup and stuff, and most of my spare time goes into that nowadays. However, I bought a new phone today and set an image of Rei as wallpaper. Which has kinda become tradition since like 2 phones before :P Anyhow, looking at the image I realized I do still like Saint Beast and especially Rei. So I'm going to try to finish this fanfiction :)**

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By the time Rei and Gai had finished their shift as guards, the demonic voices they'd heard in the far distance had came significantly closer. Not fast, the demons were obviously not in any hurry, but they were approaching. While discussing it with Goh and Shin, Rei couldn't help but to glance at Ruka every now and then, hoping he wouldn't wake up.

"It might be safest if all us stay awake," Goh said. "Then you two can sleep later, when it's safe."

Gai and Rei nodded, and Rei said; "They're probably not that strong, if they came to meet the two that Shin and me killed. But they probably won't be friendly when they see us." "They never are, but now it'll be personal," Gai added.

"It doesn't sound like there's many of them, two or three at most," Shin commented. "Rei practically beat the other two on his own, so if we're ready when they find us, they won't be much of a threat."

Glancing at Ruka and Yuda, Rei realized how small this passage was to fight in. "Maybe we could make sure we're already at the entrance to this passage when they reach us? That way they won't have a chance at aiming for Ruka or Yuda." Also, it'd be easier to force Ruka to stand back, if he'd have to get past Rei to fight along.

"That's a good idea," Goh agreed, and Shin nodded. Gai, apparently preoccupied by listening to another sound in the distance, only nodded vaguely. "Do you hear them?" Goh asked.

"Yeah, just now they were growling at each other again. Might be talking," Gai replied. "If we want to be waiting for them, I think it'd be best if we'd move to the entrance now."

"We'll be visibly from here, so if Ruka wakes up he'll know where we are," Goh said, probably just for Rei's sake. The purple haired angel had taken notice of that himself too, but he nodded anyway. Silently, they made their way to the start of the passage, stopping and crouching beside the walls while they were still in the shadows. The angelic souls stayed back with Yuda and Ruka, apparently having understood from their conversation that they shouldn't be noticeable too soon. It wasn't until now that Rei realized how much of a glow the souls seemed to spread. Or maybe it had gotten stronger, now that they were getting closer and closer to the exit?

That wasn't an issue to think of right now. Turning his head towards what they could see from the fifth circle from here, he concentrated on the barely visible shapes of demons in the distance. It was hard to tell, but it looked like two or three individual shapes. No wings or anything, the same type of demon like the two that Shin and him had fought earlier. Nothing else accompanied them. Leaning lightly on the wall next to him, Rei waited. Honestly, there weren't many things he disliked as much as waiting.

Apparently, Gai had the same trouble, restlessly tapping the wall next to him, although soundlessly. Shin and Goh seemed completely calm, just watching the demons in the distance. Rei honestly wondered how they managed that, he just wished those demons would get here as soon as possible so they could get this over with.

After what felt like hours, the demons finally reached the end of the circle, and looked around for their colleagues. Rei practically felt the tension building in the passage, everyone getting ready to jump into action. One of the demons apparently noticed blood and growled angrily to the other. It must've counted as deliberation, because both of them instantly started looking around again, claws out. Rei tried to keep concentrated on both them and Goh, guessing the brunette would instigate the attack. As one of the demons started approaching the passage, Goh looked back at them for a moment.

The demon mindlessly attacked as soon as the angels came into view, aiming for Shin, but was almost immediately shot and killed by Goh. The other one was smart enough to keep his distance, claws out and fangs bared. "You're still here?" it growled. "Too bad for you, you'll never get out."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gai growled back.

The demon grinned, showing more of those awful fangs. "Where do you think is the most of a risk of souls escaping Hell? We're not as stupid as to run around in the deepest circles, while souls are escaping to the outside through Purgatory."

He was right. Rei practically felt colour drain from his face when he realized that. The demon's words must've visibly had the same effect on the other three angels, and the creature fled away into the darkness in that short moment of shocked silence. "Damn!" Goh swore. "It's no use going after him, let's get back to Yuda and Ruka."

"But I don't think he was lying," Rei said while walking the short distance back, forcing the tremble away from his voice. Shin nodded. "It sounded logical. It also explained why we saw so very few demons so far."

"Which means the worst is yet to come," Gai commented. "But we can find a way to get out, right? At least we're smarter than them."

"We'll have to be more than that, if there truly are dozens of demons waiting for us there." Goh actually sounded almost scared. "Four of us against so many of them aren't exactly good odds. Shin, do you have any ideas?"

"Well, we could try an invisibility spell. But like last time, that will tire out the one who says it enough to make them pass out. Which we can't risk with two of us already unable to fight for themselves," the blue-haired angel replied, glancing worriedly at Yuda.

"And if we all cast the spell for ourselves and Ruka and Yuda? The angelic souls probably can't be harmed anyway," Rei suggested.

"They could distract the demons, though." Goh looked up at the angelic souls swarmed all around them. "Can you do that?" It was difficult to see through the overall sheerness of their visibility and the glowing, but they seemed to glance at each other and then nodded in agreement. "Then that might make it possible for us to get at least through most of Purgatory without being seen, even if we weaken the spell so we won't spend too much energy on it."

"I think that's our best chance," Shin agreed. Rei and Gai also nodded, even though Rei would've preferred if someone would just discover some transportation spell that could get them right out of Hell. Too bad none of them had that power, and Zeus for whatever reason wouldn't bother to help them out.

It kept silent for a while, everyone avoiding to look at each other. Eventually, Rei couldn't stop himself from yawning. "Maybe you and Gai should go to sleep now," Shin suggested. "You look tired."

Rei only nodded and sat against Ruka, embracing the taller angel. Gai glanced up at Goh awkwardly, then apparently decided it was worth to face his shyness and sat side to side with the brunette. Goh, now clearly making sure to keep staring in the general direction of the end of the passage, wrapped an arm around him. Rei couldn't help but to smile at it, remembering when he and Ruka had been that shy around each other about such things. It seemed so long ago, but he still very well remembered the feeling.

Shin, on the other hand, couldn't bear to look at it at the moment. The notion that there'd be dozens of demons waiting before they'd finally reach the exit of Hell, had made all his fears about Yuda increase significantly. Yuda still hadn't stirred even once. The fact that Ruka had told him he couldn't pick up any emotions coming from the red-haired angel, meaning he truly was fully unconscious, didn't help any either. Honestly, he did regret ever asking that. It had only served to make himself even more scared, and the look on Ruka's face had told enough about how the other angel felt.

Forcing himself not to think about it any longer, as it'd do no good if he would break down in tears in the middle of the night, he listened to the silence around them. No sign of any other demons to follow the ones that they had defeated already. Or at least, he didn't hear any. He wondered if he and Goh should talk about something. When he was guarding the others together with Rei, they usually chatted about whatever came up in their minds. And they usually ended up talking about Ruka and Yuda, and their respective relationships. That wasn't something he could talk about like that with Goh.

Problem was, neither of them were the type of people to start small talk. But at the moment, neither of them felt too compelled to talk about serious subjects either, not at this hour of the night and just after fighting demons. Sitting here in silence did feel somewhat awkward, though.

"The angelic souls seem like they're worried," Goh noticed suddenly. Looking up at the souls, Shin saw he was right. They weren't exactly fidgeting, but they were swarming amongst each other restlessly.

"Maybe it's due to what the demon said?"

"Possibly. But if even they are afraid..." Goh didn't finish that sentence, and Shin could hear in his voice that he was scared. Usually, he'd immediately be able to respond with a rational thought that would make things seem less bad. At the time, however, he could only think of all the possible ways to end that line Goh had said, every possibility even worse than the last. It must've been visible on his face, and Goh guiltily apologized for being so negative. "No, you're right. I just..." Shaking his head, Shin gave up on thinking of a proper way to say what he felt.

"The fact that it's true, doesn't mean it has to be said. Not in the middle of the night, while there's nothing to take your mind off it," Goh replied. Shin only nodded, not feeling compelled to reply in words. "So, what should we talk about? It'd be kinda awkward to ignore each other for the rest of the night," Goh tried to continue the conversation.

"I was thinking the same thing, but I don't have any ideas either," Shin admitted.

"We should probably take that as a sign to talk more often. All six of us, probably."

"Indeed. I think Rei and me have been so preoccupied by having Yuda and Ruka back, that we've been... too caught up in our own little circle."

"I guess Gai and me have been doing the same thing. It just felt... wrong to interfere."

"Interfere how?"

"Well, you and Yuda and Rei and Ruka seemed so busy making things right with each other, it felt like we'd interrupt something."

"I'm sorry that it came across as such. I have to admit I barely even noticed it, which actually just makes it worse."

"Well, we've talked about it now, so I guess that's already a good thing," Goh commented. "It's not like all six of us have to constantly chat, but it's safer if we at least now what's on everyone's minds."

"Especially during assignments like these," Shin agreed. "Still, I do think we should figure out a subject to have small talk about. It'd be kind of strange to only have serious conversations while we're being guards."

"Indeed." A long silence. "I still don't know what we could talk about, though."

"It's just so much easier with Rei or Gai. They always start talking," Shin sighed.

"I don't think either of them would appreciate being woken up to start a conversation for us," Goh grinned. Glancing over at Rei, Shin couldn't help but to envision how his friend would respond to that. It would be funny indeed. "I think Gai would probably throw the nearest reachable object at our heads," Goh added.

"Rei wouldn't, I think. He'd just look at us like we're crazy, ask if everything is all right, and then go back to sleep. Still, he might surprise us and turn us into ice statues," Shin replied.

"That'd be unpleasant," Goh grinned. "Nice during summer, though."

"Hm, I'd rather eat ice in summer than to become ice."

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


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